Mozambique’s opposition leader calls for unity ahead of renewed protests

Mozambique’s main opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane has called for unity ahead of a new round of protests against the results of the presidential election.

In a live broadcast on his Facebook page, Mondlane – who is in self-imposed exile – called on citizens to join hands and sing the national anthem in their neighborhoods at 11:45 p.m. until the year 2025 begins.

“We have to find ourselves as Mozambicans,” he said.

Mozambique is experiencing one of its bloodiest weeks since October, when Mondlane first called for protests after rejecting his election defeat.

A local monitoring group, Plataforma Decide, said 179 people died in riots last week after the country’s highest court confirmed that ruling party candidate Daniel Chapo had won the election.

This brings the death toll to 278 people since the demonstrations began after the electoral commission declared Chapo the winner of the elections in October, extending Frelimo’s 49-year rule.

The fatalities include demonstrators, children and members of the security forces.

Mondlane fled Mozambique and said his life was in danger afterward two of his helpers were shot in October.

In his last address, he urged people to “cook and socialize” in their neighborhoods before a new wave of protests begins on January 2nd.

“I am ready to lose my life for this fight,” he added.

He had previously said he would run for president on January 15 – the day Chapo is due to be sworn in – despite the Constitutional Court upholding his rival’s victory.

It is unclear how Mondlane plans to take office since he is in self-imposed exile.

In a statement, Chapo said he would serve as a “president for all” after his inauguration.

“We will soon work together to find solutions to the problems caused by this unfortunate situation,” he added.

The electoral commission declared Chapo the winner with 71% of the vote, compared to 20% for Mondlane.

The Constitutional Court revised the result last week, giving Chapo 65% and Mondlane 24%.

International election observers previously said the vote was flawed, citing manipulated numbers and other counting irregularities.

The ensuing protests dealt a severe blow to the Mozambican economy.

More than 12,000 people have lost their jobs and more than 500 businesses have been destroyed, Onorio Manuel, vice president of the country’s Confederation of Business Associations, told local news site O Pais.

In addition to businesses, Frelimo offices, courts, police stations and toll booths were also set on fire.

Last week, police reported that more than 1,500 prisoners escaped from a maximum-security prison, taking advantage of political unrest.

Neighboring countries have also felt the effects of the unrest in Mozambique. Several thousand Mozambicans have fled across the border into Malawi as a result of the violence.

And a worried South Africa sent a special envoy, Sydney Mufamadi, to Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, to discuss the crisis with President Filipe Nyusi, who will step down at the end of his two terms in office.

Mufamadi said the discussion focused on understanding the nature of the crisis and how South Africa could contribute to resolving it.

South African officials say they have stepped up intelligence and security operations along the border to prevent criminal elements from crossing.