Mozambique post-election violence toll rises to 73

LILONGWE, Malawi

Human rights organizations report that at least 73 people have been killed, with many others injured, in the intensifying post-election violence in Mozambique.

The violence erupted across major cities and towns following the announcement of the highly contested presidential election results on Oct. 24, resulting in widespread casualties and destruction.

Adriano Nuvunga, executive director of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, a leading human rights organization in Mozambique, told Anadolu that deaths among protesters have become a regular occurrence since opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who finished second in the Oct. 9 general elections, called for mass demonstrations.

“We have been calling on security forces to exercise restraint when dealing with unarmed protesters, but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Today, we are talking of 73 people being killed, and our worry is that numbers of fatalities will continue to rise unless politicians on both sides of the divide come together to find long-lasting solutions to the current impasse,” Nuvunga said.

The organization described the situation as the “worst crackdown” on protests in decades.

Zenaida Machado, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch in Mozambique, told Anadolu that at least 10 children have lost their lives since the unrest began.

On Oct. 19, two senior opposition figures, Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe, were killed in Maputo. Authorities have not made any arrests in connection with the killings.

The unrest began after the National Election Commission declared Daniel Chapo, the candidate of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), the winner with 70% of the votes, while Mondlane secured 20%. The announcement on Oct. 24 sparked violent protests in major urban areas.

On Oct. 31, Mondlane called for nationwide demonstrations, alleging that the election results were “fraudulent.” Since then, hundreds of people have regularly taken to the streets to protest.

Despite widespread international condemnation of the security forces’ use of excessive force, the violence shows no signs of subsiding.

Approximately two weeks ago, the government banned all protests nationwide, warning of “serious repercussions against protesters” and labeling the demonstrations as “acts of terrorism.”

On Wednesday, residents in a village in the northern province of Inhambane burned down a police station after security forces shot and killed a protester.

Outgoing President Filipe Nyusi convened a meeting on Tuesday with all four presidential candidates from the election to discuss “workable solutions” to the crisis. However, Mondlane, reportedly in exile, refused to attend, citing safety concerns.