Two days after Mozambique’s election results were announced, the situation in the southeastern African nation has deteriorated significantly.
At least 121 people have died in protests since Monday, according to the civil society group Plataforma Decide, which updated its figures late Wednesday.
Earlier that day, the organisation had reported 56 deaths and 380 injuries, noting that the capital, Maputo, and the cities of Beira and Nampula are the hardest hit.
Mozambique’s Interior Minister had reported lower figures on Tuesday evening, citing 21 deaths and 25 injuries.
The unrest erupted after the Constitutional Council confirmed on Monday that Daniel Chapo, the candidate of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO), which has ruled for 49 years, won the presidency with 65% of the vote. Opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, who received an official 24% of the votes, rejected the results, alleging fraud.
In a Facebook address, Mondlane declared plans to proclaim himself president on January 15. He has remained abroad since the unrest following the October election.
Protests have led to widespread chaos in Maputo and other cities, with looting of shops, arson targeting vehicles and buildings—including police stations and FRELIMO party headquarters—and attacks on infrastructure.
Police reported that demonstrators stormed five prisons, resulting in the release of 1,534 inmates from Maputo’s high-security Matola prison alone, 33 of whom were killed in clashes with law enforcement.
Prisoners also escaped from other facilities, and weapons were allegedly seized by the attackers.
Public life has been severely disrupted. Demonstrators in Maputo erected roadblocks, damaged power lines, and looted banks, according to on-the-ground reports.
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Many residents of the capital chose to stay home on Christmas Day out of fear of further violence.
The government has deployed special military units and border guards alongside the police to restore order. Opposition leader Mondlane has called on his supporters to protest peacefully, but tensions remain high.
South Africa’s foreign ministry has urged all parties to pursue political dialogue and has offered to mediate the crisis.
Mozambique, home to around 35 million people, continues to grapple with poverty, mismanagement, and the impacts of climate change.
The FRELIMO party has ruled the former Portuguese colony since independence in 1975, with regular elections taking place since 1994.
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