Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, experienced a mobile internet shutdown on Friday following violent protests against the re-election of the ruling Frelimo party.
The unrest began on Thursday when opposition supporters accused the election commission of rigging the October 9 vote in favour of Frelimo.
The commission announced that Daniel Chapo, the ruling party’s candidate, had won the presidential election with 71% of the vote.
Chapo, a 47-year-old former provincial governor with little national experience, will assume office in January.
Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who was declared to have received just over 20% of the vote, rejected the results, calling them “rotten, doctored and fake.”
“We absolutely reject these results,” Mondlane said during a Facebook live broadcast, urging citizens to protest.
In response to the election announcement, protests erupted in Maputo, with demonstrators blocking roads by burning tyres and destroying election posters.
Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds, and further clashes occurred in northern Nampula, where police reported one death.
The unrest disrupted mobile internet services in Maputo on Friday. NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, confirmed “near-total disruption” of mobile internet access but noted that home connections were unaffected.
Observers from the European Union criticised the violent crackdown on protesters and raised concerns over irregularities during vote counting. They urged the election commission to show “maximum transparency.”
The opposition protests reflect growing discontent with Frelimo’s 50-year rule. Many Mozambicans, particularly young people, rallied behind Mondlane and his new Podemos party, hoping for political change.
Outgoing President Filipe Nyusi warned that inciting protests could be treated as a criminal act, while Chapo called for calm, urging the public to allow the justice system to investigate election-related violence and recent killings of opposition activists.