Tension lingers as Mozambique awaits to swear in new president
Mozambican opposition leader Venancio Mondlane said on Tuesday that his supporters would "paralyse" the country over the election that he says was stolen, on the eve of his rival's swearing in, AFP reported.
Daniel Chapo, whose FRELIMO party has ruled uninterrupted since 1975, is set to take office on Wednesday after being declared the winner of the October election.
"If it means paralysing the country for the entire term, we will paralyse it for the entire term. Let's see how they plan to govern this. Which people do they think they're governing if they're killing the very same people?" Mondlane said in a Facebook Live video.
Mondlane had fled the country after a top aide was shot dead, one of around 300 people killed in unrest since the vote.
New protests
He returned last week, calling for three days of new protests from Monday.
The 50-year-old has tapped into a deep discontent among the youth who are disenchanted with the gas-rich country's deepening poverty.
"We were met with tear gas. They took the lives of three young people. The day before yesterday, we tried to go to the Xipamanine Market, but even there, my communications team was met with bullets – 15 shots fired at the truck," he said.
"We called on everyone to avoid any type of vandalism, and the people have complied – there's absolutely no vandalism happening. Yet, they are killing people," he added.
'Freedom of peaceful assembly'
Mondlane vowed to continue protests for all of Chapo's term if needed and said he was ready to fight in court.
Chapo, a 48-year-old former governor with no state experience, will succeed outgoing President Filipe Nyusi.
UN Human Rights spokesperson Seif Magango on Tuesday voiced deep concern about the violence.
"With further demonstrations announced ahead of the presidential inauguration on January 15, it is critical that freedom of peaceful assembly is upheld and facilitated, and that the security forces refrain from further unnecessary or disproportionate use of force," he said.
The unrest has caused major losses to the economy, stopping cross-border trade and affecting shipping, mining and industry.
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