Violence after election court ruling claim 21 lives in Mozambique

Violence erupted in Mozambique’s major cities after the Constitutional Council confirmed Daniel Chapo’s victory in the disputed 9 October presidential elections, killing at least 21 people, including two police officers.

Mozambique’s Interior Minister, Pascoal Ronda, told a news conference in Maputo on Tuesday that the unrest was triggered by the court’s announcement the day before.

The wave of violence and looting was mainly led by young supporters of defeated candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who secured 24% of the vote, while Chapo won 65%.

“In the last 24 hours, 236 acts of violence were recorded throughout the national territory that resulted in 21 deaths, of which two members of the police force also died,” Ronda said, adding that 13 civilians and 12 police were injured.

According to the minister, 25 vehicles were set on fire, including two police vehicles, while 11 police subunits and a penitentiary were attacked and vandalised and 86 prisoners were released.

Footage circulating on various social media platforms showed protesters burning and looting shops in the capital Maputo and the city of Beira, where some city officials were reported to have fled the city.

The Decide Electoral Platform, a Mozambican civil society group monitoring the elections, reported that over 150 people have been killed in protests since 21 October. Of these, 34 were killed between 4 and 10 December, with the protests showing no signs of easing.

Human rights groups have criticised the Mozambican authorities for what they describe as a brutal crackdown on protests that began peacefully against the elections, which opposition parties claim were rigged. International observers have also reported irregularities in the vote.

European Union voices ‘deep concern’

The European Union expressed deep concern over the post-election violence in the country. In an official statement, the EU urged all parties to show “restraint” and avoid actions that could further heighten tensions.

“We also call for accountability and justice to tackle instances of human rights violations,” said the EU, which sent a 180-member Electoral Observation Mission (EU EOM) to monitor the Mozambican elections, identifying several “irregularities.”

“EU EOM noted irregularities during the counting of votes and unjustified alteration of election results. It called on the electoral bodies for the maximum transparency of the counting and tabulation process,” the statement added.