Portugal’s prime minister has conveyed by telephone to the president-elect of Mozambique his government’s concern at “the climate of violence and tension” in the African country and reiterated his willingness to work with “the authorities and the other political forces” to improve matters, according to his office.
“The conversation allowed us to reiterate the Portuguese government’s messages of strong concern about the climate of violence and tension that followed the elections on 9 October, and we deeply regret the loss of human life,” reads the statement from the prime minister’s office, released late on Thursday.
In the phone call with Daniel Chapo, who was the candidate for the governing Frelimo party, and who is to take office on 15 January, “the need to ensure an immediate end to the violence and to guarantee the safety of the population and all political actors, particularly those who were candidates on 9 October, was discussed.
“The Prime Minister renewed the government’s calls for maximum restraint on the part of the Mozambican authorities and all political leaders, in order to contribute to a climate of peace, security and inclusive dialogue, which will allow the root causes of the political and social tensions in the country to be addressed,” the text adds.
Montenegro told Chapo that the protection of the sizeable Portuguese community living in Mozambique “is an absolute priority for the Portuguese government, which remains active in supporting and safeguarding the safety of its citizens.
“The prime minister reiterated the Portuguese government’s willingness to work with the authorities and other political forces and civil society, on all fronts, to overcome the current difficulties” in Mozambique, adds the text.
On 23 December Mozambique’s Constitutional Council, the final court of appeal in electoral disputes, validated official results already released to proclaim Chapo the winner of the presidential election with 65.17% of the votes, and Frelimo the victor of the legislative elections that took place on the same day, retaining its parliamentary majority.
Clashes between police and protesters since the official results were first announced on 21 October have left almost 300 people dead and more than 500 suffering gunshot wounds, according to civil society organisations monitoring the process.
Lusa
