Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said today that in the ‘last few days’ there have been more than 200 ‘violent’ post-election demonstrations, which have caused 807 injuries and 19 deaths, calling for teenagers and children to stop being ‘used’ in this dispute.
‘I call on the youngest, I repeat the youngest, teenagers and children, to no longer be used for disputes that should be resolved in the institutions, at the appropriate times,’ said Nyusi, in a 45-minute message to the nation on the “situation of the country in the post-election period”.
The head of state presented a ‘preliminary balance’, pointing out that ‘in recent days there have been more than 200 demonstrations marked by the vandalisation of public and private property, theft, looting of commercial establishments, burning of tyres, blocking of public roads’, among others.
‘At the same time, there have been acts of sabotage against mobile phone masts and power stations. Where are we going?’ he asked.
‘These figures relate to the indirect consequences of the wave of violence. But the riots caused direct damage to people. As a result, 807 citizens were injured, including 66 members of the PRM [Police of the Republic of Mozambique]. We regret the loss of life of 19 fellow citizens, five of whom were members of the PRM,’ he said.
Underlining the irregularities of the demonstrations and protests, called since 21 October by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane – who does not recognise the announced results of the 9 October general elections, which are still awaiting validation by the Constitutional Council – Nyusi nevertheless called on the police to prioritise ‘restraint’ and ‘non-violent intervention’.
‘The Defence and Security Forces must continue to serve their people. The use of force should only be in extreme situations to defend lives and the national economy. We don’t want situations to arise in which we all lose out,’ he said.
However, he pointed out that ‘no one, in the name of any cause, can prevent a citizen from going to work to guarantee their family’s livelihood’ or ‘prevent the functioning of public services, hospitals, schools, markets and public transport’, alluding to the effects of calling these stoppages and protests.
Considering the economic effects of almost a month of post-election protests, Nyusi admitted that the growth forecast of 5.5 per cent in 2024 ‘may’ be revised, a scenario that also jeopardises ‘the most unprotected workers and the most vulnerable citizens’.
Another example of these consequences was felt in health, with the Mozambican President pointing to a 60 per cent reduction in the number of patients seen in emergency, paediatric and adult services, and a 54 per cent reduction in blood donations, as well as 6,500 children who ‘missed or postponed’ their vaccinations.
‘In addition to a reduction of more than 60 per cent in the number of health professionals in health units,’ he said.
With younger people heavily involved in these protests, Filipe Nyusi recognised that this is a population in which ‘feelings of frustration at the persistence of structural difficulties affecting Mozambique are more accumulated’.
‘These feelings, however legitimate they may be, cannot be a reason to destroy our country’s fragile heritage,’ he appealed.
Earlier in the afternoon, before this message to the nation, Venâncio Mondlane called on Mozambicans to observe three days of national mourning for the ‘50 fatalities’ that he counts in the post-election demonstrations, starting on Wednesday, including a 15-minute stoppage and honking of cars.
‘We’re going to stop all vehicles and honk our horns in honour of our heroes (…) those who don’t have vehicles, from 12:00 to 12:15 [two hours less in Lisbon], raise posters, of the restoration of electoral truth, at traffic lights, in the middle of the streets, as if they were signposts,’ he appealed.
Venâncio Mondlane disputes the attribution of victory to Daniel Chapo, the candidate supported by the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), with 70.67% of the vote, according to the results announced on 24 October by the National Electoral Commission.
Lusa
