By Summary
- Riot linked to disputed election results.
- Justice Minister claims riot started inside prison, unrelated to outside protests.
- Over 1,500 inmates escaped, 150 recaptured; rise in crime expected, police commander warns.
Protesters gather next to a burning barricade in Maputo on December 23, 2024.
MAPUTO, Mozambique, Dec 25 (AfrikTimes) – A prison riot in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, has resulted in the deaths of 33 people and injuries to 15 others, the country’s police general commander, Bernardino Rafael, said on Wednesday. The riot comes amid ongoing civil unrest linked to October’s disputed election.
A decision on Monday by Mozambique’s top court confirming long-ruling party Frelimo’s victory in the election has sparked fresh nationwide protests by opposition groups and their supporters who say the vote was rigged. While Rafael blamed protests outside the prison for encouraging the riot, Justice Minister Helena Kida told local private broadcaster Miramar TV that the unrest was started inside the prison and had nothing to do with protests outside.
“The confrontations after that resulted in 33 deaths and 15 injured in the vicinity of the jail.” Rafael told a media briefing.
A protester looks on near a burning barricade during a “national shutdown” against the election outcome, in Maputo, Mozambique, November 7, 2024.
The identities of those killed and injured were unclear. About 1,534 inmates escaped from the prison in the incident, but 150 have now been recaptured, Rafael said, adding that there were prison break attempts at two other facilities.
“We are worried as a country, Mozambicans and security forces,” Rafael said. “We expect in the next 48 hours a rise in crime.”
Mozambique’s interior minister said on Tuesday that at least 21 people were killed in unrest after the top court’s decision. Prior to Tuesday, civil society monitoring group Plataforma Decide said at least 130 people have been killed in clashes with police since the unrest started.
Members of the Mozambique military patrol the streets of the capital a day after a “national shutdown” against the election outcome, in Maputo, Mozambique, November 8, 2024.
