Mozambique’s leading opposition figure, Venancio Mondlane, accused the country’s security forces on Thursday of inciting looting and unrest to pave the way for the ruling party to declare a state of emergency following the controversial elections.
The nation’s highest court confirmed on Monday that Frelimo, the party in power since the country’s independence from Portugal in 1975, won the presidential election held on October 9. The election had already ignited several weeks of deadly violence, which led to numerous fatalities and a large-scale prison break in which over 1,000 inmates escaped from a high-security facility.
Frelimo’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, secured 65.17% of the vote, while his main opponent, Mondlane, has alleged that the election was fraudulent and stated his intention to assume office despite the official results.
“Our protests are directed at the Constitutional Council, the election commission, and the Frelimo party, all of which are responsible for the fraud,” Mondlane posted on social media.
He also claimed that there was “no police intervention” against the looters, adding that authorities were “essentially encouraging people to attack and steal.”
“It is clear that these acts of vandalism are part of a plan… to declare a state of emergency,” he said.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed concern over the “lack of transparency” surrounding the election results and called on all parties to “avoid violence and engage in constructive dialogue to restore peace and unity.”
According to reports from several NGOs, the unrest has resulted in the deaths of at least 150 people.
