Maputo’s Central Hospital (HCM) confirmed on Friday that one person died and seven others were wounded by gunfire during clashes between police and supporters of presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane on Thursday.
“Given the characteristics of the injuries, [the death] was possibly caused by a firearm wound, a bullet in the cervical region. There was a lot of bleeding, and he arrived in a state of severe shock,” said the director of the Adult Emergency Service at HCM, the country’s largest hospital and one of the units in the Mozambican capital, Dino Lopes, in statements to the media.
He said that 10 people were injured during the riots that took place on Thursday in the country’s capital, eight by firearms, one of whom died, and two by bladed weapons, shortly after Venâncio Mondlane’s return to the country, six of whom are hospitalised in that health unit.
Two police officers were killed during clashes with demonstrators in the district of Moma, in Nampula province, the Mozambican police said on Thursday, also announcing that three people were injured and another three arrested during riots in the country.
The Decide Platform had reported on the same day that at least three people had died – who were treated in different health units – and another six had been shot among the supporters accompanying Venâncio Mondlane on his return to the Mozambican capital, bringing the death toll to 294 since the protests began on 21 October.
Venâncio Mondlane arrived in the Mozambican capital this Thursday after two and a half months of leading the protest against the results of the general elections from abroad and under heavy security measures in the Maputo International Airport area.
In the aftermath, police dispersed a crowd of supporters listening to the presidential candidate in the centre of Maputo, using gunfire and tear gas, with people being shot.
In his speech in the Estrela Market area, Mondlane once again said, as he did in statements to journalists on his arrival at the airport, that he would go to any lengths to restore electoral truth, reaffirming that he won the general elections on 9 October.
Mozambique’s Constitutional Council (CC) has set 15 January as the date for the inauguration of the new president, who will succeed Filipe Nyusi.
On 23 December, the CC, the final court of appeal in electoral disputes, proclaimed Daniel Chapo, the candidate supported by the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), as the winner of the presidential election, with 65.17% of the votes, as well as the victory of Frelimo, which retained its parliamentary majority.
The announcement immediately led to new clashes, public and private property destruction, demonstrations, stoppages and looting. However, with no new calls for protests in the last week, the situation has normalised throughout the country.
Clashes between police and protesters have led to almost 300 deaths, and more than 500 people have been shot since 21 October, according to civil society organisations monitoring the process.
Lusa
