Mozambican police opened fire on supporters of opposition leader Venancio Mondlane during a march in the capital, Maputo, on Wednesday, resulting in injuries to at least 10 individuals, according to Mondlane’s team and a human rights researcher.
A police spokesperson acknowledged that officers had dispersed the demonstrators but did not provide further details.
The march took place just hours before President Daniel Chapo signed an agreement with several political parties aimed at resolving ongoing protests related to his controversial election victory last year.
Mondlane, who finished second in the presidential election, has been excluded from the discussions leading to this agreement, which is intended to review the country’s electoral laws.
Experts suggest that Mondlane’s exclusion could hinder the effectiveness of the agreement in stabilizing the resource-rich Southern African nation.
In a statement shared on Facebook, Mondlane’s team reported that his location was unknown following the police intervention, and they claimed that 16 individuals had sustained injuries.
In a separate live video from Mondlane’s Facebook page, he was seen in a vehicle traveling down a street, surrounded by a crowd of supporters who were cheering and singing. The video abruptly ended after gunfire was heard, prompting people to flee.
Zenaida Machado, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, confirmed that at least 10 people were injured by police during the incident, emphasizing that targeting a peaceful opposition gathering undermines efforts to achieve stability in Mozambique.
Political analyst Joao Feijo remarked that the government’s negotiations with other political parties lack substance without Mondlane’s participation. He warned that delaying his inclusion would diminish the prospects for stabilizing the situation.
According to the local civil society monitoring group Plataforma Decide, over 350 individuals have lost their lives in the protests that erupted following the elections in late October.
