Mozambique's major cities paralyzed by post-election unrest

Major cities in Mozambique were without key human and business activities on Friday as post-election violence in the country spread. Some businesses, including banks, were closed in the capital, Maputo. 

Transportation and trading were both halted as opposition-led demonstrations continued amid looting and vandalism. 

Maputo and its largest suburb, Matola, have experienced chaos since the Constitutional Council, Mozambique's highest court, confirmed the results of the disputed October presidential election, extending the ruling Frelimo party's grip on power into a 50th year.

The court's seven-judge bench ruled that Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo had secured 65% of the vote, revising down the initial results of nearly 71%. Frelimo has governed Mozambique since 1975.

Looting, fires and a rising death toll

The Constitutional Council's announcement triggered opposition protests that often turned into clashes with police, with buildings burned and supermarkets ransacked.

A female resident in Maputo told DW that she witnessed looting in Maputo's Praca dos Combatentes neighborhood.

"The people I saw ran away and broke glass. I saw everything that was happening. They took microwaves, televisions, beds. This should not happen because they are ruining many things, and they cannot behave like this," she said.

In the George Dimitrov neighborhood, also known as Benfica, at least 11 people died inside a food warehouse when a fire broke out after it was attacked and looted.

In the Polana Canico neighborhood, residents also set up barricades to prevent road traffic.

"We are willing to organize this. We are tired, after all, what is democracy for? We don't want Frelimo anymore and we will fight. We only want the best for our country, we are tired of wars, of blood, we are tired," a resident told DW.

Police chief Bernardino Rafael described the people who broke into warehouses and stores as criminals.

"What we are witnessing is an assault on the Matola industrial complex, which houses various industries and warehouses," Rafael told reporters. "This was caused by a group of criminals, making it difficult to maintain control."

Opposition blames police for deadly violence 

Venancio Mondlane, the opposition leader who has contested the election results, blamed the police for the vandalism and deaths of protesters. He called for more protests from his supporters but cautioned them against looting and damaging infrastructure.

"It's the police men who are prepared to rob the stores, set fire to the banks, break into the warehouses," he said during a live broadcast on Thursday. "You saw the images of policemen telling the population to come in to get food. People come in because they are hungry."

The violent protests that have rocked Mozambique have resulted in the deaths of 248 people, including 33 in a prison break on Wednesday.

Mondlane has claimed widespread vote rigging and called on his supporters to continue to protest, vowing to install himself as president on January 15.

At least 1,500 inmates took advantage of the chaos on December 25 to escape from a high-security prison in Maputo, with The Associated Press putting the number at around 6,000.

Rafael said apart from the 33 prisoners who died, 15 others were injured during a confrontation with the security forces.

"A curious fact is that in that prison we had 29 convicted terrorists, who were released. We are worried, as a country, as Mozambicans, as members of the defense and security forces," the police chief told reporters.

"They [protesters] were making noise, demanding that they be able to remove the prisoners who are there serving their sentences."

UN calls for dialogue

UN chief Antonio Guterres has expressed concern about the ongoing unrest in Mozambique.

"The secretary-general is concerned about the post-election violence, which has resulted in loss of lives and the destruction of public and private property," Stephanie Tremblay, Guterres' associate spokesperson, told reporters.

Tremblay said Guterres is following developments closely.

"He urges all political leaders and relevant national stakeholders to defuse tensions including through meaningful dialogue, legal redress, refrain from the use of violence, and redouble efforts to seek a peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis, in a constructive manner, which is essential to the collective future of Mozambicans," she added.

Edited by: Keith Walker