from ARMANDO DOMINGOS in Maputo, Mozambique
Mozambique Bureau
MAPUTO, (CAJ News) – IN Mozambique, more blood has been shed, some offices of the ruling party burnt with police stations razed to the ground.
Some civilians have hijacked police vehicles and openly driving them to protest points.
The crises have spilled to the northern parts, where the country already suffers terror attacks by Islamist groups.
There has been an attempt by civilians to attack a plane, while one of the ruling party’s oldest figures has had missiles thrown at him in an attempt to hold a rally to counter-mobilise.
The academic year is coming to a chaotic year as striking teachers fuel the predicament faced by the government and students stare at a bleak future as they fail to sit for exams and, eventually, find themselves in solidarity with their teachers.
For that, they have been tear gassed by security personnel as the education sector suffers the impact of a post-electoral disaster that has spilled to a third month, with no end in sight to the volatility.
All this is the culmination of the “fourth phase” or 4X4 called for this week by the aggrieved main opposition candidate of the October 9 presidential election, Venancio Mondlane, of the Optimistic People for the Development of Mozambique (PODEMOS).
Deadly protests have rocked Mozambique since the announcement of the election of Daniel Chapo of the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) as country president, but the crisis this week reached unprecedented levels.
Events depict a country that has degenerated into lawlessness by all parties involved and nation on the verge of one of the most severe humanitarian crises of recent times, while all attention has been on the Middle East, Ukraine and closer to home, Sudan.
Amnesty International, the human rights organisation, alluded to reports that seven more people were killed during protests in the southern African nation on Wednesday.
This brings to over 80 the total death toll since October 21, if these reports are anything to go by.
“Mozambique authorities must end this bloody crackdown now. Protect the right to protest in Mozambique!” Amnesty stated.
From Wednesday, protesters have besieged vehicles from police and later taken to the streets aboard them.
On Thursday, the situation worsened, in addition to the deaths reported by Amnesty.
Protesters burnt down the FRELIMO office in Pemba, capital of the northern Cabo Delgado, which has suffered terror attacks by Islamists since 2017.
Residents in Topuito in Nampula are filmed trying to stop and burn an aircraft.
“It’s a total chaos,” lamented activist Cidia Chissungo, one of the most outspoken figures of the Mozambique crisis.
“I am not sure what else FRELIMO is willing to see until realising the country is facing a serious crisis and this needs to be properly addressed.”
FRELIMO has been in power since independence from Portugal in 1975.
Party elder and former cabinet minister, Eneas Comiche (aged 85), had stones thrown at him as he staged a ruling party in Sofala.
If the election results are verified, he is headed for the National Assembly, despite his advanced age in a mainly youthful country.
“Young people are angry at Comiche and think he is too old to be sitting in the parliament,” Chissungo argued.
– CAJ News