MAPUTO, Mozambique – Mozambican police fired on supporters of opposition leader Venancio Mondlane marching in the capital Maputo on Wednesday, injuring at least 10 people, Mondlane’s team and a human rights researcher said.
A police spokesperson confirmed that law enforcement had dispersed marchers but declined to elaborate.
Mondlane’s supporters had gathered hours before President Daniel Chapo signed an agreement with some political parties aimed at ending months of protests over Chapo’s disputed election victory last year.
Mondlane came second in the presidential vote but has been excluded from the talks leading up to the agreement, which is meant to include a review of the country’s electoral laws.
Analysts say Mondlane’s exclusion means the agreement will likely do little to stabilise the resource-rich Southern African country.
Mondlane’s team said in a statement posted on Facebook that his whereabouts were not known after police broke up the march. It said 16 people had been injured.
Mondlane did not answer a phone call from Reuters.
In a separate video broadcast live from Mondlane’s Facebook page, the opposition leader was seen standing in a car moving down a street surrounded by a crowd of people cheering and singing.
The sound of gunshots rang out, after which people started running and the video abruptly cut off.
Zenaida Machado, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the organisation had confirmed at least 10 people had been injured by police on Wednesday. She added that firing on a peaceful opposition gathering jeopardised efforts to bring stability to Mozambique.
Political analyst Joao Feijo said the government’s talks with other political parties were little more than theatre without Mondlane’s involvement.
“The longer it takes to include Venancio, the worse the chances of stabilising the situation,” he said.
Local civil society monitoring group Plataforma Decide says more than 350 people have been killed in the post-election demonstrations that started in late October.
Mondlane told supporters on Wednesday that he would continue with his anti-government protests, for years if necessary.
He says Chapo and his Frelimo party won the October election through vote-rigging, while Western observers say it was not free and fair.
Frelimo has ruled Mozambique since the end of Portuguese colonial rule in 1975 and denies accusations of electoral fraud. – Reuters
