Two days after the controversial victory of the long-standing ruling party Frelimo, the situation in Mozambique, southeast Africa, came to a head on Christmas Day. According to the police chief, a bloody prison riot left 33 people dead and more than 1,500 prisoners managed to escape. A total of 121 people were killed and scores injured during the protests.
A total of 1,534 prisoners have escaped from a high-security prison about 15 kilometers from the capital Maputo, police chief Bernardino Rafael said. 33 inmates were killed and 15 others injured in clashes with prison staff during the escape attempt.
Manager “concerned”
About 150 of the refugees were rearrested during an army-backed search operation, according to the police chief. “We are concerned about the situation.” About 30 of the detainees are linked to armed gangs that have been responsible for attacks and unrest in the northern province of Cabo Delgado for seven years.
Groups of protesters had approached the prison on Wednesday, causing confusion and unrest inside. Eventually the prisoners broke down a wall and escaped.
While Rafael blamed the uprising for the ongoing protests, Justice Minister Helena Kida told Miramar TV that the unrest started in the prison and had nothing to do with the demonstrations outside.
Riots in response to the election results
The unrest began after the Constitutional Council on Monday confirmed the election of Daniel Chapo, candidate of the Frelimo party that has ruled for 49 years, as the new president with 65 percent of the vote. The opposition has established election fraud. The capital Maputo and the cities of Beira and Nampula were particularly affected. Mozambique’s Minister of the Interior spoke on Tuesday evening of 21 deaths and 25 injuries.
Looting and arson
In Maputo and other cities, shops were looted and vehicles and buildings, including police stations and the Frelimo party headquarters, were set on fire. The protests paralyzed public life. In Maputo, demonstrators have set up roadblocks, destroyed electricity poles and robbed banks, a dpa reporter reported. Many residents of the capital stayed home on Christmas Day because they were afraid of attacks. In addition to the police, the government also deploys special military and border guards.
Source: Krone
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