NEWS- The Mozambique National Police Commander Bernardino Rafael has confirmed that more than 1,500 prisoners escaped from a prison near Maputo yesterday taking advantage of the third day of unrest triggered by the controversial confirmation of the long-ruling Frelimo party as the winner of recent elections.
Commander Bernardino Rafae said that a total of 1,534 detainees escaped the High-Security Prison located about 15 kilometers from the capital city Maputo and among those who were attempting to escape, 33 were killed and 15 were wounded in clashes with Prison staff.
Bernardino explained that a search, backed by the National Army has so far led to the arrests of about 150 escapees and around 30 of the prisoners were linked to armed groups that have been behind unrest and attacks in the northern province of Cabo Delgado for the past seven years.
The Court in Portuguese-speaking African confirmed on Monday that Frelimo which has been in power since 1975, won the October 9th 2024 presidential election, which had already triggered weeks of unrest.
Bernardino Rafael said that groups of protesters approached the penitentiary, creating confusion and triggering unrest inside, where inmates ended up knocking down a wall through which they escaped, and authorities created barricades remained in several areas of the capital limiting movements, as acts of vandalism continued.
In addition to the ransacking of stores and public buildings, ambulances were set ablaze along with a drugstore and other businesses and some demonstrators also set up tables in the streets to occupy the space while celebrating Christmas with family or neighbors.
Monday’s confirmation of the election results came despite claims of irregularities from many observers where Frelimo leader Daniel Chapo won 65.17% of the vote, about 5 percentage points less than the initial results declared by the country’s electoral commission.
Chapo’s main challenger, exiled opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, has claimed the election was rigged, sparking fears of violence between rival party supporters and the unrest has so far led to the deaths of at least 150 people, according to reports from several nongovernmental organizations.
Additional Reporting by Associated Press
