Gunmen fatally shot a Mozambique opposition lawyer and a party official by firing multiple rounds at their car on Saturday, according to rights groups. This incident has heightened tensions ahead of planned protests against a disputed election outcome.
The newly formed opposition party Podemos, along with its presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, have rejected the preliminary election results that indicate a probable victory for Frelimo, the ruling party in Mozambique for the past fifty years, and its candidate Daniel Chapo. In response, they have called for a nationwide strike scheduled for Monday.
The attack took place in the Bairro Da Coop neighborhood of Maputo, the capital city, resulting in the deaths of Podemos lawyer Elvino Dias and party representative Paulo Guambe, as reported by Mozambican civil society election observer group More Integrity. Human Rights Watch and Mozambique’s Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD) have also confirmed the tragic incident.
Adriano Nuvunga, the director of CDD, described the killings as a “cold-blooded murder” where the victims were shot with around 10 to 15 bullets and died instantly. He believes that this act was intended as a warning to opposition protesters planning to gather on Monday.
The European Union and Portugal, Mozambique’s former colonial ruler, have condemned the attack and called for a thorough investigation. Later in the day, Frelimo’s candidate Daniel Chapo denounced the violence as an assault on democratic principles that must be upheld.
Venancio Mondlane’s emergence as the primary challenger in Mozambique posed a threat not only to Frelimo but also to the former main opposition party Renamo, which was once a rebel group supported by apartheid-era South Africa and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) during the Cold War.
Alex Vines, the Africa program director at the London-based think tank Chatham House, characterized the shooting as a “serious escalation” that has heightened tensions ahead of Monday’s planned strike.
International observers have raised concerns about the credibility of the election, citing instances of vote buying, intimidation, inflated voter lists, and lack of transparency in the vote tallying process – issues that have plagued Mozambique’s elections since the introduction of democracy in 1994 after two decades of Frelimo rule.
While the official results are scheduled to be announced on October 24, there are fears that Monday’s protests could turn violent. Mozambique’s security forces have reportedly used force against protesters, including during last year’s local elections, according to rights groups.