In a scene that could have been plucked from the pages of a tense political thriller, riot police in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, unleashed tear gas on a crowd of protesters Monday, a shocking display of force following days of unrest. The protesters, rallying against alleged electoral fraud, were met with heavily armed officers, helicopters circling ominously overhead, and the piercing cracks of gunfire.
The tension on the streets was palpable, fueled by the recent assassination of two opposition allies of Venâncio Mondlane, the opposition figurehead who has accused the ruling party of rigging the election. As police blocked his path and stationed themselves at his doorstep, Mondlane, a veteran politician, defiantly dodged their grip, posting a video of himself fleeing through clouds of tear gas with supporters at his heels.
Mozambique, once a beacon of hope in Africa, now feels like a country teetering on the edge of chaos. The violent crackdown only intensifies concerns of post-election turmoil, echoing fears from last year when protests against Frelimo—Mozambique’s ruling party since independence—turned deadly. President Filipe Nyusi’s successor, Daniel Chapo, is widely expected to win the presidency, but many believe that result will only widen the political divide.
With official election results still pending, frustration has boiled over into the streets, from Maputo to cities like Beira and Nampula, where citizens have taken up the call for justice. Mondlane’s rallying cry that “the country was paralysed” echoed through the nation as the smell of tear gas lingered in the air and government services ground to a halt.
As the world watches, the hope for calm lies in tatters. The United Nations, African Union, and European Union have all condemned the violence, but for the people of Mozambique, the battle for democracy may just be beginning.
