Court Decision Sparks Violent Unrest, Death Toll Reaches 150

Maputo/Mozambique (The Uttam Hindu): A decision by the Supreme Court of Mozambique has caused widespread unrest in the country. The court's ruling sparked violent clashes, resulting in the deaths of 21 people. This brings the total number of fatalities in the violence to 150. The unrest followed the court's declaration of Daniel Chapo, the presidential candidate from the ruling FRELIMO party, as the winner of the controversial elections held on October 9. The violence led to the deaths of at least 21 individuals, including two police officers.

Supreme Court Ruling Triggers Violence, 21 Dead
Mozambique’s Home Minister, Pascoal Ronda, held a press conference late on Tuesday night in Maputo, where he confirmed that violence and looting erupted after the court's announcement the previous day. Ronda stated that the violence was led by the youth supporters of Chapo’s main rival, Venancio Mondlane, who had lost the election. Chapo secured 65 percent of the votes, while Mondlane received only 24 percent. Ronda revealed that “preliminary surveys show that 236 incidents of violence have been recorded across the nation in the past 24 hours.”

He further reported that 13 civilians and 12 police officers had been injured in the clashes. Additionally, a total of 25 vehicles, including two police cars, were set on fire. Eleven police stations and one prison were attacked, leading to extensive damage and the escape of 86 prisoners. Mondlane has called for a nationwide strike starting Friday, but violence has already escalated, and the situation remained tense in the capital, Maputo, on Tuesday night. Since the electoral body announced the preliminary results, the number of deaths due to post-election violence has now surpassed 150.