“It worries Mozambicans that Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, Commander-in-Chief of the Defence and Security Forces, is demonstrating, with his commanding voice, that he intends to push the country into a new war,” declared Ossufo Momade, during a press conference held today in Maputo.
At issue is the police repression of marches led by the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) to protest against the results of the 11 October elections, in which the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, in power) was announced as the winner in 65 of the 64 municipalities, with the exception of Beira, won by the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), the third parliamentary party.
Ossufo Momade reiterated that his party will not back down until the “electoral truth” is restored, considering that Renamo has proof (public notices) showing that the party won in several municipalities.
“We urge all lovers of peace, democracy and well-being to remain firm in the struggle to restore the will expressed on 11 October because we are for free, fair and transparent elections,” he declared.
The leader of the main opposition party in Mozambique also criticised the actions of the Mozambican police during the protests in various parts of Mozambique, denouncing the alleged persecution of its members.
“There is persecution and arbitrary arrests of citizens, as well as invasion and siege of the political offices of the Renamo party, as is the case in the city of Nampula and Maputo-city, in the latter where there was even a search of the terrace of the building,” said Momade.
“It is inexplicable that in this path of authentic police terrorism against citizens and the state, citizens in civilian clothes are involved, wielding and firing weapons as if they were mercenaries,” added the Renamo leader, alluding to a group of armed men, presumably from the police, who were seen in plain clothes looking for demonstrators on Friday in the midst of the unrest in Maputo.
Mozambique’s sixth local elections took place in 65 municipalities on 11 October, including 12 new municipalities which went to the polls for the first time.
The main opposition party has held marches throughout the country to contest the results of the 11 October elections, attracting thousands of people who denounced alleged “mega-fraud” in the ballot.
A police officer and a young man died during demonstrations in Nampula and Nacala against the results of the local elections, according to the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), a Mozambican non-governmental organisation (NGO) observing the elections.
The officer was killed in retaliation for the shooting of a ten-year-old child outside a school as part of the authorities’ reaction to demonstrations against the local elections in the city of Nampula.
In the city of Nacala, also in Nampula province, a young man died after being hit by a blunt object in the Nacala Central Market during skirmishes between people and the police, CIP reported. In both cities, trade came to a standstill, with markets and shops closed.
The deaths reported by the NGO have not yet been confirmed by the authorities, who admitted, however, that at least 10 people were injured and another 70 arrested during the skirmishes. According to Mozambican electoral legislation, the results of the vote still have to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council (CC), the highest judicial body.
The Mozambican government and Renamo were the protagonists of the longest armed conflict Mozambique has known: the 16-year civil war. The last Renamo base, now demilitarised, was closed in Vunduzi, Gorongosa district, in June this year, more than 30 years after the end of the Mozambican civil war.
The closure of the last base is part of the Peace and National Reconciliation Agreement signed between the Frelimo government and Renamo in August 2019. The agreement was the third signed between the parties, the first two having been violated and resulted in armed confrontation following Renamo’s contestation of the election results.
Plataforma with Lusa
