At least 90 people have been killed in Mozambique amid clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces sparked by October’s disputed presidential elections, civil society group Plataforma Decide said Friday.
Unrest has rocked the southern African nation since an October 9 polls, which was won by the ruling Frelimo party, in power since 1975, but denounced as fraudulent by opposition parties.
In a post on social media Plataforma Decide said 90 people had been killed between October 21 and December 5 and nearly 3500 people detained.
A fresh wave of protests launched Wednesday turned deadly, with police confirming at least five people were killed and three others wounded.
“Among the fatalities, some were run over and beaten. None of the victims were police officers,” national police spokesman Orlando Modumane said.
In the northern city of Nampula, protesters who “tried to invade the governor’s residence” were stopped “by police firing live ammunition”, a civil society activist Ivaldo Naza told AFP, counting five dead.
The Constitutional Council is due to confirm the results at least two weeks ahead of the January inauguration of Daniel Chapo, 47, Frelimo’s candidate succeeding the outgoing President Filipe Nyusi.
The electoral commission reported that Chapo received nearly 71 percent of the vote, while Venancio Mondlane, 50, leader of the small Podemos party, came second with 20 percent.
But Mondlane contends a separate count found he received 53 percent of the vote, with Chapo only taking 36 percent.
A former radio host, Mondlane said on social media that he did not expect protesters to turn apathetic during the festive season.
“This time, all of us will not have Christmas, because the people will be on the streets,” he insisted Thursday.
