Tensions surge following in Southern African state following disputed vote
Date
10/26/2024 9:27:21 AM
(MENAFN) Tensions are rising in Mozambique as the leading opposition candidate, Venancio Mondlane, has accused Police of using live ammunition against demonstrators protesting the results of the recent presidential election. The allegations of electoral fraud were made on Tuesday as preliminary results from the October 9 vote indicated a lead for the ruling party.
During a protest organized in the capital, Maputo, Mondlane reported that police responded to his supporters with tear gas while he was addressing the media. A video posted on his facebook page shows the chaotic scene as police allegedly fired handguns into the crowd, which had gathered in the same location where Mondlane’s lawyer, Elvino Dias, was shot and killed over the weekend, along with Paulo Guambe, a spokesperson for their party, Podemos.
Local news outlet Club of Mozambique detailed how police charged at protesters, prompting them to retaliate by throwing stones and igniting tires in the street. Mondlane condemned the police's actions, stating in a live video, “The police did an outrageous thing, which was to use real bullets.”
Adriano Nuvunga, the director of Mozambique’s Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CCD), reported that two journalists and a security guard sustained injuries from gunfire but were not critically harmed. He described the incident as an "alarming escalation in violence and repression," highlighting serious concerns regarding civil liberties and the freedom of the press in the country.
Nuvunga further emphasized that the recent murders of key figures in Mondlane's team and the police's aggressive tactics against peaceful demonstrators raise significant issues about the safety of opposition voices in Mozambique. As protests continue, the political climate remains fraught with uncertainty, leading to calls for urgent dialogue and accountability in the aftermath of the disputed election.
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