At least 21 people have been killed in violent protests across Mozambique after the country’s top court confirmed the governing Frelimo party’s victory in contested presidential elections, Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda said Tuesday.
The victims include two police officers, with at least 25 others injured, 13 of whom are police personnel, Ronda announced at a press briefing.
Since Monday, the country has experienced “236 acts of serious violence,” including attacks on police stations, petrol stations, banks, and other public facilities. Protesters, opposing Frelimo’s win, allege that the October 9 election was rigged.
Mozambican authorities have arrested 78 people as security measures are ramped up nationwide.
“The armed forces will increase their presence in critical and key points,” Ronda told state broadcaster TVM.
The unrest erupted after the Constitutional Council upheld the election results, declaring Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo the winner. Opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane and his supporters have rejected the outcome, accusing the ruling party of vote rigging.
Protests began Monday night in various regions, with demonstrators burning tires, blocking roads, and vandalizing property.
“This was their way of shutting down Mozambique,” said Al Jazeera reporter Haru Mutasa, covering the unrest in Maputo.
Mutasa reported instances of young men asking motorists for money to pass roadblocks.
“While these protests may have started off over the election result, it seems some elements have come in to try and infiltrate them,” she said.
The country has been grappling with violent demonstrations since late October when electoral authorities first declared 47-year-old Chapo the winner of the presidential race. Human rights organizations report that more than 130 people have been killed since October 21, accusing Mozambican security forces of using excessive violence to quell the protests.
Following the court’s decision, Mondlane took to social media, urging his supporters to prepare for “difficult days ahead.”
“History is made of thorny, rocky moments, but the truth is that victory is guaranteed for all of us,” Mondlane wrote on Facebook.
