MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE — Opposition supporters took to the streets of Mozambique’s capital late Thursday, burning tires and blocking key roads, to protest the announcement that ruling party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo won the October 9 election in a landslide.
Police said 371 people were arrested in connection with the protests and skirmishes across the country.
Dog teams, armored vehicles from the riot police and dozens of heavily armed officers, with the support of a helicopter, fought running battles with the protesters amid an intense smell of tear gas in most Maputo neighborhoods.
A spokesperson for the Mozambique General Police Command, Orlando Mudumane, said people illegally led disorderly demonstrations on public roads, vandalized public and private property and looted goods from various commercial establishments.
He said officers will remain on the streets to contain acts of violence and property destruction.
Mudumane advised people to be wary of incendiary speeches and misinformation on social networks and other digital platforms.
Thursday’s protests followed earlier demonstrations at which hundreds of people poured into the streets of Maputo and Matola to protest what they called fraudulent election results.
The official results showed Frelimo party candidate Daniel Chapo winning the election with more than 70% of the vote.
The runner-up, independent Venancio Mondlane, called for peaceful protests of the election results and issues such as kidnappings and police brutality.
Mondlane holds Frelimo responsible for last week’s killings of two people aligned with the opposition Podemos party, lawyer Elvino Dias and party official Paulo Guambe.
Mondlane called for Mozambique to come to a halt for two days, urging in a speech posted to Facebook that all institutions, whether public or private, be paralyzed in that time.
Human Rights Watch researcher Zenaida Machado criticized the police actions against protestors, saying people have the right to protection when expressing their concerns even as authorities work to maintain order.
“The state, when they deploy security forces to the streets, they need to make sure that they are there not only to create the space for people to peacefully protest, but also to protect them against anything that might want to affect the protest itself,” Machado said.
Observer missions from the European Union and Southern African Development Community have yet to offer a final assessment of the election.
However, the EU mission said this week that some of its 179 observers were prevented from observing tabulation processes in some districts and provinces and at the national level.
The EU mission also said its observers witnessed “unjustified alteration” of election results at some polling stations.
The National Electoral Commission says that all cases of alleged wrongdoing during voting and vote counting are being investigated.
The official results are not final until validated by Mozambique’s Constitutional Council.
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