Ressano Garcia – Clashes with police broke out in Mozambique on Wednesday in fresh protests against disputed election results, residents said, with two people reportedly killed, and forced the closure of the main border with South Africa.
Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane called for a fresh round of protests starting Wednesday after the election authority said the Frelimo party – in power since independence from Portugal in 1975 – had won October 9 elections.
A police crackdown on protests against the vote, which Mondlane claims was rigged, has already claimed the lives of at least 30 people, according to Human Rights Watch.
Police opened fire on a demonstration in the northern city of Nampula early Wednesday and killed two people, the local Ikweli newspaper reported.
There was no confirmation from authorities but locals contacted by AFP also said police had opened fire on the crowd.
“At around 8:00 am, young people gathered in the Namicopo neighbourhood to march towards Nampula city centre,” said civil society activist Ivaldo Nazare.
Mozambique Political Unrest: Heavy Military Presence Fails to Keep Border Open, Leaving Businesses and Citizens Vulnerable! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/H0xiRVx3li
— Prof. Adriano Nuvunga (@adriano_nuvunga) November 13, 2024
“However, the police surrounded all the streets in the neighborhood and started shooting at the demonstrators.”
Further south, supporters of Mondlane blocked traffic at the Ressano Garcia border, causing dozens of trucks headed to South Africa to be backed up, AFP reporters there said.
“We are closing the border, we are doing everything we can to call attention so that everyone can see what is happening,” one of the protesters, Fenias Matavel, told AFP.
“We want the results to be clear, because the people are tired. We want the truth,” said a young woman who gave her name only as Catarina.
South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) confirmed it had closed the Lebombo post opposite Ressano Garcia because of the “continuing and intensified protest”.
The crossing, about 110 kilometres (68 miles) from Mozambique’s capital Maputo, was also closed intermittently last week because of tensions linked to the post-election violence.
🇲🇿 #Mozambique Following the police shooting that killed and injured youths and women in Namicopo, Nampula, this morning, locals began retaliating against authorities. Reports indicate that a police station was set on fire during the unrest.#Nampula #Protests #PoliceViolence… pic.twitter.com/KnlW2qSq07
— Silvio do Quental (@SilviodoQuental) November 13, 2024
It is an essential link for South African exporters to Mozambique’s deep-water ports at Maputo and Matola.
The southern African regional grouping, SADC, has called an extraordinary summit at the weekend to discuss the post-election tension in Mozambique.
Election observers reported irregularities at the polls and Mozambique’s Constitutional Council has asked for clarification on voter numbers.
The Council has to confirm the election results at least two weeks before President Filipe Nyusi is due to step down at the end of a two-term limit in January and hand over to the Frelimo party’s victorious candidate, Daniel Chapo.
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Source: AFP
Picture: X/@adriano_nuvunga
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