Mozambique Protests Result in Five Deaths and Unrest

Police said at least five people were murdered and three critically injured in protests around Mozambique, including Maputo, Nampula, and Zambezia. According to Orlando Mudumane, spokesman for the officers General Command, fights broke out between officers and protestors armed with stones, knives, and machetes.

The demonstrations were purportedly organized by Venancio Mondlane, a lost presidential candidate who accused the October 9 election results of fraud and declared himself the winner.

From South Africa, where he took asylum, Mondlane called for a week-long statewide demonstration from December 4 to 11, with the goal of blocking roads, trains, ports, and airports to “restore the truth about the elections.”

Outgoing President Filipe Nyusi has warned that the unrest may impede public sector salary payments, particularly for teachers and nurses, due to Mozambique’s lack of external financial support.

Protests in Matola erupted after a 13-year-old child was shot and killed by a plainclothes officer. Residents blocked access to the Beleluane Industrial Park, which is home to Mozal, a major aluminum exporter, causing the company to temporarily suspend truck operations.