50 injured in fresh violent protests in Mozambique

JOHANNESBURG

At least 50 people were injured amid fresh violent protests in Mozambique after the Constitutional Council announced Monday that Daniel Chapo of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) had won the contested presidential election on October 9.

Supporters of opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane were outraged by the announcement and began protesting Monday night.

According to local media reports, at least 50 protesters were injured with gunshot wounds during Monday and Tuesday's protests and have been admitted to Maputo Central Hospital in the capital city.

Protesters have also been accused of attacking and vandalizing police stations, gas stations, bank branches, and other public facilities.

On Monday, a seven-judge bench of the Constitutional Council upheld an earlier announcement by the country’s electoral commission confirming that Frelimo’s Chapo had won the Oct. 9 polls but reduced his win margin from 71% of the vote to 65%.

Mozambique has seen violent protests since late October, when the electoral authority declared the 47-year-old Chapo as the winner of the Oct. 9 election, defeating opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane of the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), who received 20%.

Following the announcement by the Constitutional Council, Mondlane asked supporters on social media to brace themselves for "difficult days ahead."

“History is made of thorny, rocky moments, but the truth is that victory is guaranteed for all of us,” Mondlane wrote on Facebook, encouraging people to continue protesting.

More than 130 people have been killed since protests began on Oct. 21, according to rights and civil society groups.

These groups have also accused Mozambican security forces of using excessive violence to quell the protests.

Calls for calm

Meanwhile, neighboring South Africa on Tuesday urged all parties in Mozambique to exercise restraint and calm.

Pretoria also asked them to commit to urgent dialogue, saying it is concerned over the ongoing violence and subsequent disruptive protests following the Constitutional Council announcement of the election results.

“South Africa is ready to assist Mozambique in any manner to facilitate this dialogue,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said it will continue to work with the regional bloc Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other multilateral agencies to find a lasting solution to the current impasse in Mozambique.

Last week, South African ministers spoke with a delegation of Mozambican counterparts about the violent post-election protests and their impact on both economies.