Violence erupted across Mozambique’s major cities after the country’s Constitutional Council confirmed Daniel Chapo’s victory in the contested 9 October presidential elections, resulting in at least 21 deaths, including two police officers.
Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda reported in a press briefing on Tuesday that the unrest was sparked by the court’s ruling, which was announced the previous day. The violence, which included widespread looting, was largely driven by young supporters of Venâncio Mondlane, the defeated candidate who received 24% of the vote, while Chapo secured 65%.
Ronda stated that over a 24-hour period, 236 violent incidents were reported nationwide, resulting in the 21 fatalities. He also confirmed that 13 civilians and 12 police officers were injured during the unrest. In addition, 25 vehicles were set on fire, including two police cars, and 11 police subunits, along with a penitentiary, were attacked and vandalized. As a result, 86 prisoners were freed.
Social media footage showed protesters setting fire to shops and looting in Maputo, the capital, and Beira, with reports indicating that some local officials had fled the cities due to the escalating violence.
According to the Decide Electoral Platform, a Mozambican civil society group monitoring the situation, more than 150 people have died in protests since 21 October. The group reported that 34 of these fatalities occurred between 4 and 10 December, with the unrest continuing without signs of slowing down.
Human rights organizations have condemned the government’s response to the protests, which began peacefully in opposition to the election results, alleging widespread fraud. International election observers have also pointed out various irregularities, including issues with vote counting and results manipulation.
In response to the violence, the European Union expressed grave concern, calling on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could worsen the situation. The EU, which had sent a 180-member Electoral Observation Mission (EU EOM) to monitor the elections, urged authorities to ensure accountability for human rights violations.
The EU’s statement also highlighted the irregularities observed during the vote counting process, calling for full transparency in the election procedures and urging electoral bodies to address the unjustified changes in the results.
