By Nilson David
Mozambique continues to face one of the worst political moments of its post-independence period, with citizens taking to the streets to demonstrate against the ruling party, the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), claiming that Frelimo’s win in this year’s October elections was fraudulent.
According to Venâncio Mondlane, one of the candidates for the presidency of the republic, 50 people have been killed by police since the first days of the demonstrations. The Civil Society Platform for Electoral Monitoring (DECIDE) has published a report stating that 25 people have died and 135 have been arrested. According to Human Rights Watch, 30 people have died in Mozambique since the demonstrations began.
The Amnesty International website says, “…the Frelimo-led government must put an end to the violent and widespread repression of human rights and respect everyone’s rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.”
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The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has also reacted to the protests taking place in Mozambique. In a press release published on his official website, he said he has been following events in Mozambique after the elections with concern and is deeply alarmed by the reports of violence.
“It is crucial that post-election grievances are resolved peacefully through inclusive dialogue and independent judicial processes, consistent with human rights and the rule of law. Violence has no place in electoral processes,” he said.
Mondlane has led a campaign of demonstrations throughout Mozambique calling for the true results of the elections to be revealed. The candidate, who ran for the PODEMOS party, and feared for his life, fled Mozambique on October 21 across the border with South Africa.
Without revealing where he is now, Mondlane is using social media to call on Mozambicans to continue demonstrating, stating that he is the true winner of the elections.
On November 15, Mondlane appeared live on social media with the Mozambican flag on his shoulders to call for the continuance of demonstrations, asking Mozambicans to make noise with pots and pans and other objects.
“Until the electoral truth is restored, until the votes are counted, until there is a national commitment to end kidnappings and abductions, until there is a national commitment to resolve the misery in which many Mozambicans are trapped, our struggle will not stop,” said Mondlane.
The protests in Mozambique began on October 21 and were called by Mondlane, who does not recognize the results of the general elections announced by the National Electoral Commission, which gave victory to Daniel Chapo and Frelimo.
