On the morning of Monday October 21, the Mozambican police repressed a demonstration in the center of the capital Maputo. Last week, opposition leader and presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane called for a one-day general strike today to protest electoral fraud. This mobilization comes after the assassination of two of his relatives on Friday. The police, who banned this demonstration, fired tear gas at Venancio Mondlane’s campaign headquarters.
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With our regional correspondent, Gaëlle Laleix
“ If citizens cannot exercise their rights, it is worse than a state of war “, Venancio Mondlane told the press outside his campaign headquarters on Monday. “ They (law enforcement) are the real terrorists “, he continued. A few minutes later, the candidate for president of the Mozambique was interrupted by tear gas fire.
All morning, downtown Maputo was cordoned off by the police. According to Real Democracy, a civil society organization, the police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse any attempted gathering. In a video posted on Facebook, Venancio Mondlane once again expressed his anger: “ This is real terrorism: shooting defenseless young people. »
While we are still awaiting the results of the general elections, the opposition is already rejecting the provisionals provided by the Electoral Commission and which give Daniel Chapo, candidate of Frelimo, the party in power since independence, the winner.
The assassination of Venancio Mondlane’s lawyer and one of his allies politicians added fuel to the fire. Their funeral is to be held this Tuesday, October 22. On Monday, the European Union said: preoccupied » by the « violent dispersion » of the demonstration. The United Nations called “ all Mozambicans, including political leaders and their supporters, calm and restrained “, while the African Union is ” deeply concerned ” by ” reported cases of violence, particularly recent killings “.
It is with “ great concern as we follow the situation in Mozambique “, declared for his part Paul Rangel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, who recalls that he is ” fundamental » for the country, « that the electoral process goes well and results in legitimate authorities “.
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