Death toll rises to 261 in Mozambique's post-election unrest, with 573 shot

At least 134 people have died in Mozambique since December 23 in ongoing post-election protests, raising the total death toll to 261 since October 21.

The electoral monitoring platform Decide, a Mozambican non-governmental organization (NGO) that tracks electoral processes, reported that at least 573 people have been shot across the country since the disputes erupted following the October 9 general elections, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The most recent fatalities occurred between December 23-26, with 36 deaths recorded in Maputo city and 20 in Maputo province, located in the southern part of the country. In the northern Nampula province, 34 people died, while 33 were killed in Sofala in the central region.

In addition to the deaths, the NGO reported that 228 individuals have been shot since Monday alone. The majority of those wounded were in Maputo city, with 62 people injured, and 37 in Maputo province. Sofala and Nampula were also heavily impacted, with 65 and 43 injuries, respectively.

The violence erupted after the announcement of the final results of the presidential election, which declared Daniel Chapo, candidate of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), the winner with 65.17 per cent of the vote. Chapo's victory, which succeeds outgoing President Filipe Nyusi, was followed by clashes between police and protesters, primarily supporters of Venâncio Mondlane, who received 24 per cent of the vote according to the Constitutional Council.

Protesters, claiming electoral fraud, took to the streets of Maputo and other areas, erecting barricades, looting, and clashing with police forces. In response, law enforcement used live ammunition to disperse crowds. The violence also led to a surge in detentions, with 4,199 people arrested since the unrest began, including 161 on December 23 alone.

The political turmoil has escalated with reports of significant criminal activity. On December 25 afternoon, over 1,500 inmates escaped from the Central Prison of Maputo, a maximum-security facility, amid the chaos. General Police Commander Bernardino Rafael described the mass escape as a "premeditated" act by post-election protesters, which resulted in at least 33 deaths. Only 150 of the escapees have been recaptured, and Rafael warned of a potential spike in crime over the coming days, particularly in Maputo city.

Among the escapees, Rafael identified 29 individuals as “terrorists,” some of whom he described as “highly dangerous.” The unrest surrounding the escape has sparked further political accusations. Venâncio Mondlane, leader of the opposition party, claimed that the authorities deliberately allowed the escape to manipulate public opinion and shift focus away from the alleged electoral fraud. He described the situation as an “intentional” tactic, akin to mass manipulation techniques used by Soviet-era secret services.

Mondlane, whose supporters have been at the forefront of protests, condemned the actions of the government and urged his followers to intensify demonstrations. However, he stressed that the focus should remain on protesting institutions he believes are responsible for the alleged electoral fraud, not on damaging public or private property.

As Mozambique grapples with the fallout from the elections and the growing unrest, the situation remains volatile, with ongoing clashes between protesters and security forces. The government has yet to address the numerous allegations of electoral fraud, and with tensions continuing to rise, the country faces an uncertain and perilous path ahead.

By Vafa Guliyeva