Nigeria has condemned the escalating post-election violence in the Republic of Mozambique, especially in the capital city of Maputo, and other major cities like Beira, and Nampula, which has reportedly resulted in the death of nearly 150 persons and over 380 injured.
Reports said the violent protests erupted after the Constitutional Council confirmed Daniel Chapo of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) as the winner of the presidential election with 65% of the vote and the results were rejected by the leader of the opposition party.
A statement from Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for calm and advised the aggrieved political players to explore appropriate legal means to seek redress.
The statement issued by Kimiebi Ebienfa, Acting spokesman of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “Our thoughts are with the Government of the Republic of Mozambique and the families of all those affected by the dreadful crisis.”
The election result sparked protests on Monday when Mozambique’s highest court confirmed that the ruling FRELIMO party, in power since 1975, had won October’s presidential elections.
Mozambique has been rocked by unrest since disputed elections in October. Official results showed the ruling FRELIMO’s candidate for president, Daniel Chapo, won. The constitutional court ruled that Chapo had won the election, while revising his margin of victory downwards.
Initial results in October said Daniel Chapo gained a 71% share of the vote to his main rival Venâncio Mondlane’s 20%. The court later reversed itself saying that Chapo won 65% to Mondlane’s’s 24%.
FRELIMO’s offices, police stations, banks and factories have been looted, vandalised and set ablaze around the country. Since Monday, at least 21 people have been killed in the unrest, the interior minister said late on Tuesday.
