Mozambique carried out a brutal crackdown on post-election protests, Amnesty says

CAPE TOWN – Mozambique's information forces carried retired a brutal, three-month crackdown connected protesters aft the country's predetermination past year, a starring planetary rights radical said Wednesday, citing section activists who alleged that much than 300 radical were killed and much than 3,000 were injured successful the unrest.

In its caller report, Amnesty International called connected Mozambican authorities to analyse the killings and each rights violations successful the aftermath of the election, and to bring instrumentality enforcement officials liable to justice.

Thousands of Mozambicans took portion successful waves of protests successful the weeks aft the Oct. 9 statesmanlike and parliamentary election, wherever Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo enactment was declared the winner amid allegations of rigging and predetermination fraud raised by his challengers and planetary observers.

The protests were successful enactment of Venancio Mondlane, who ran arsenic an autarkic campaigner but was supported by the absorption Podemos party.

The demonstrations intensified aft the Oct. 18 sidesplitting of Mondlane's lawyer and a Podemos official, who were fatally changeable by gunmen precocious astatine night portion sitting successful a car successful Mozambique's capital, Maputo.

Mondlane denounced the slayings arsenic a governmental assassination and called for 25 days of protests — 1 time for each of the 25 bullets that were fired astatine the car. Mondlane, citing fears for his ain safety, left the state for 2 months but returned successful January.

According to Amnesty's report, betwixt Oct. 21 and Jan. 25, the Mozambique constabulary and service utilized deadly unit against mostly peaceful marches and gatherings, shooting unrecorded ammunition, rubber bullets and teardrop state canisters astatine protesters and bystanders.

Amnesty cited the Mozambican civilian nine radical Plataforma DECIDE, which said 315 radical died successful the protests betwixt Oct. 21 and Jan. 16 — a toll that acold exceeded numbers that authorities person acknowledged. Police said successful January that 96 radical were killed successful the protests during the three-month clip period, including 17 officers.

"Police unlawfully utilized firearms and little lethal weapons, sidesplitting and injuring protesters and bystanders,” Amnesty said. “The service besides utilized unit and little lethal weapons recklessly and unlawfully.”

Amnesty said its study was based connected interviews with 28 people, including eyewitnesses, victims, victims' relatives, doctors and lawyers. Other rights groups person reported that at slightest 10 children were among those killed successful the protests.

Police carried retired wide arrests of protesters and bystanders, including teenagers, Amnesty said. Plataforma DECIDE said much than 4,000 radical were arrested, astir of them arbitrarily.

Amnesty besides said it has grounds suggesting that Mozambican net providers restricted entree to societal media platforms specified arsenic Facebook and Instagram and the messaging work WhatsApp “at cardinal moments during the protests.”

In January, Chapo was sworn successful arsenic president. He and Mondlane met successful March successful an effort astatine mediation, with the president promising to analyse protestation deaths.

The Frelimo enactment has ruled Mozambique since independency from assemblage ruler Portugal successful 1975 and has often been accused of rigging elections by putting officials loyal to it successful complaint of electoral processes. A study by predetermination observers from the European Union said past year's ballot was marred by deliberate invalidation of absorption votes and alteration of polling results, arsenic good arsenic ballot container stuffing successful favour of Frelimo.

Mozambican authorities person been mostly framed by a 15-year civilian warfare betwixt Frelimo and rebel radical Renamo, which ended successful 1992, with the rebel radical aboriginal becoming an absorption party. The protests successful enactment of Mondlane, antecedently a subordinate of the Renamo party, were the largest menace to Frelimo's rule.

Protests died down aft the crackdown but unit inactive persists.

Mondlane this week visited the larboard metropolis of Quelimane, wherever gunmen connected Sunday changeable 1 of his main run organizers, Joel Amaral. He was changeable 3 times, including erstwhile successful the head, but survived and remains successful an intensive attraction portion successful the hospital.

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Mangwiro reported from Maputo, Mozambique.

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