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Mozambique: Over 1,500 inmates escape Maputo jail after riot

December 25, 2024

The prisoners broke out of jail in Maputo following a riot which killed dozens, according to local police. Mozambique is facing violent unrest as political crisis deepens.

https://p.dw.com/p/4oZjq
Armed protester raises his hands in front of burning tires in Maputo
Mozambique capital Maputo has been affected by a wave of protests.Image: Silaide Mutemba/DW

Police in Mozambique said 33 people died and 15 injured as riots broke in high-security prison in the capital, Maputo. According to the country's police commander, more than 1,500 inmates managed to escape during the violence. Protesters also stormed several other prisons elsewhere in the country, with dozens more inmates escaping.

He also said 150 have already been recaptured.

In the past several days, Mozambique has been facing an escalation of protests after the election result had been announced. Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who reportedly received 24% of the votes, rejected the result as manipulated.

The capital Maputo is among the cities most affected by the protests, in which at least 56 people died, with 380 more being injured.

Other cities to be affected by the protests are Beira and Nampula.

ftm/ (Reuters,dpa, Lusa)

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