Police in Mozambique resorted to tear gas and rubber bullets on Saturday to disperse protests in multiple cities, ignited by a controversial presidential election held on October 9. The ruling Frelimo party, in power since 1975, was declared the winner of the election, a result that opposition parties have vehemently contested as fraudulent.
Election observers, including representatives from the European Union, have reported irregularities and condemned the violence that marred the electoral process. In response, Venancio Mondlane, the leading opposition candidate, has called for nationwide demonstrations from October 31 to November 7, culminating in a major rally in the capital, Maputo.
On Saturday, hundreds gathered in Maputo to protest the election results but were quickly dispersed by police using tear gas and rubber bullets. Authorities patrolled the city to deter residents from other areas from joining the protests planned for the upcoming week.
In the northern province of Nampula, approximately 2,000 kilometres from Maputo, clashes erupted between police and protesters in several locations. Witnesses reported that around 500 people marched on Trabalho Avenue to contest the election results, while others gathered in the city’s largest market, Arresta, blocking roads.
In Namialo, about 95 kilometres from Nampula, over a hundred demonstrators set tyres ablaze in the street, prompting a significant police presence. During the unrest, reports emerged that at least nine people had sustained gunshot wounds, although it remained unclear whether they were caused by live ammunition or tear gas.
Mozambique has imposed internet restrictions, blocking access to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which Mondlane has relied on to communicate with supporters and organise protests.
The unrest began to intensify shortly after the election, escalating into violence on October 24 when the electoral commission announced that Frelimo’s Daniel Chapo had won with nearly 71% of the vote, while Mondlane received only 20%, which he labeled as “false.”
Authorities reported 20 injuries and two fatalities linked to the post-election turmoil, and an investigation was launched against Mondlane following his calls for “25 days of terror.”