More than 1,500 prisoners have escaped from a prison in Mozambique, capitalizing on the ongoing political unrest sparked by disputed election results, according to police.
Police chief Bernardino Rafael confirmed that 33 people were killed and 15 injured in clashes with guards, although around 150 fugitives have been recaptured.
The unrest intensified after protests erupted on Monday when Mozambique’s highest court upheld the ruling Frelimo party’s victory in October’s presidential elections.
Rafael explained that anti-government protesters had gathered near the prison in Maputo on Wednesday, allowing prisoners to exploit the chaos and break out by knocking down a wall.
The political instability stems from the contested October elections, where official results declared Frelimo’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, as the winner.
The court’s confirmation on Monday, which reduced Chapo’s winning margin from 71% to 65%, has further fueled tensions.
His main rival, Venâncio Mondlane, who received 24% of the vote, has since fled the country, continuing to accuse the government of electoral fraud and urging his supporters to protest.
A BBC reporter noted that Maputo was nearly deserted on Christmas Eve, with businesses closed and people avoiding the city’s worst unrest in decades.
Since Monday, Frelimo offices, police stations, banks, and factories across the country have been looted, vandalized, and set on fire. At least 21 people have died in the violence, the interior minister reported.
Mondlane, who had called for mass demonstrations, warned in a weekend social media message that a “new popular uprising” could occur if the election results were not overturned.
Since the election, over 150 people have been killed in the unrest, which continues to escalate across Mozambique.
Source-BBC
