The Mozambican non-governmental organization (NGO) Plataforma Eleitoral Decide reported today that at least six people died this morning in the northern province of Nampula and another nine were detained in central Manica in clashes between demonstrators and police.
According to data released in the survey carried out by the platform that monitors the electoral process, at least eight people were also shot in the province of Nampula, also in riots between police authorities and protesters.
Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane called for a new period of national demonstrations in Mozambique, lasting three days, starting today, in all provincial capitals, including Maputo, to protest the electoral process.
"We will demonstrate at the borders, at the ports and in the provincial capitals (...). We will paralyze all activities so that people understand that the people are tired", Venâncio Mondlane appealed on Monday, regarding the "fourth stage" of protesting the general elections of October 9th.
A protest that he asked to be extended to the country's ports and borders, and to the transport corridors that connect these infrastructures, appealing to truck drivers to join: "We are not forcing anyone to join the demonstration. We are passing on the demonstration values and whoever wants to join can do so".
The general commander of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM), Bernardino Rafael, said on Tuesday that an "enough" must be said to the demonstrations and strikes, referring to them as "urban terrorism" with the intention of "altering the constitutional order".
"It is urgent to say enough to the violent demonstrations that tend to sabotage major projects that the country achieved during independence and that are the hope of the next generation", declared Bernardino Rafael.
On Tuesday, Mozambican businesspeople estimated the losses caused in ten days of strikes and demonstrations called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane at 24.8 billion meticais (354 million euros), with 151 business units vandalized.
"With these demonstrations accompanied by the shutdown of economic activity, we have seen that the trade, logistics and transport sectors were the most affected, with total losses and impact on GDP (Gross Domestic Product) totaling 24.8 billion meticais (354 million euros), which is around 2.2% of our GDP," declared the president of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), Agostinho Vuma.
The Mozambican Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) has already opened 208 criminal proceedings to hold accountable the "moral and material" perpetrators of the violence in the post-election demonstrations, the Attorney General's Office (PGR) also announced on Tuesday, holding presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane responsible.
The PGR states that, "within the scope of its constitutional and legal powers", the MP "has been instituting legal proceedings, aiming to hold the "moral and material" perpetrators and "accomplices of these acts" criminally accountable.
"To date, 208 criminal proceedings have been initiated, investigating homicides, bodily harm, damage, incitement to collective disobedience, as well as conspiracy or conspiracy to commit crimes against the security of the State and violent alteration of the rule of law", it reads.
Mozambique, and especially Maputo, the capital, have experienced work stoppages and demonstrations called since October 21 by Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognize the results of the general elections announced by the National Electoral Commission, which gave victory to Daniel Chapo and the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the ruling party).
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