Violent clashes across Mozambique have resulted in the deaths of 125 people in just three days, following opposition-led protests over the recently confirmed presidential election results, a non-governmental organisation, Plataforma Decide, reported on Thursday.
The protests erupted after the country’s top court on Monday upheld the victory of Daniel Chapo from the ruling Frelimo party, which has been in power since 1975. Chapo won the October 9 presidential election with 65.17% of the vote, despite international observers raising concerns about voting irregularities.
Demonstrations quickly escalated into violent confrontations with police, leading to widespread destruction, including the burning of buildings and looting of supermarkets.
On Tuesday, the government reported 21 fatalities within the first 24 hours of rioting in several major cities. By Wednesday, the violence extended to a mass jailbreak near the capital Maputo, where 33 inmates were killed during clashes with prison staff.
Plataforma Decide estimates the death toll since the violence began in October at 252, with the most severely affected regions including areas around the capital, Nampula province, and the city of Beira.
Authorities have arrested over 4,000 people since October in connection with the unrest, including 137 in the past three days alone.
Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who is in exile, has accused the government of orchestrating the unrest and looting as a pretext to impose a state of emergency and suppress protests. Mondlane has also repeatedly claimed that the election was rigged.
On Thursday, barricades remained on many roads around the capital, limiting traffic, while public transport services were suspended, according to reports from Maputo.
