Clashes in Mozambique as main opposition leader Mondlane returns from exile

Injuries reported arsenic constabulary occurrence teardrop state and unrecorded ammunition arsenic Venancio Mondlane lands successful Maputo aft disputed election.

Police person fired unrecorded ammunition and teardrop state to forestall supporters of Mozambique’s main absorption person Venancio Mondlane from reaching the airdrome to greet him pursuing his instrumentality from self-imposed exile.

Live images from superior Maputo broadcast by Al Jazeera connected Thursday showed constabulary chasing down protesters, immoderate of whom responded by throwing rocks, arsenic they attempted to breach the main road starring to the city’s Mavalane International Airport.

Al Jazeera’s Fahmida Miller, reporting from the tract of the clashes successful Maputo, said immoderate of Mondlane’s supporters were injured successful the clashes.

“Police person been pushing backmost astatine protesters, firing teardrop gas. We besides heard unrecorded ammunition being used,” she said.

“The protesters are trying to scope the airdrome to greet Mondlane, and they can’t. So they are progressively agitated. There has been a backmost and distant betwixt the constabulary and protesters.”

The fig of injuries could not beryllium instantly determined.

Mondlane’s supporters thin to a antheral allegedly changeable successful the caput by constabulary astatine a checkpoint adjacent the Maputo planetary airdrome connected Thursday [Amilton Neves/AFP]

Mondlane, who was met by a ample radical of journalists aft exiting the airdrome building, claims the October 9 predetermination was rigged successful favour of the campaigner of the ruling Frelimo party, Daniel Chapo, who is owed to beryllium sworn successful connected January 15.

Mondlane went into hiding much than 2 months agone fearing for his beingness aft two elder members of his enactment were killed successful their car by chartless gunmen successful the aftermath of the election, which besides killed dozens of others.

“I americium present successful the soma to accidental that if you privation to negociate … I americium here,” Mondlane told reporters extracurricular the airport.

The predetermination quality unleashed waves of unit that person near astir 300 radical dead, including protesters killed successful a constabulary crackdown, according to a tally by a section rights group.

Authorities accidental constabulary officers person besides been killed and determination has been looting and vandalism. A determination by Mozambique’s apical court, the Constitutional Council, to validate the predetermination results triggered much demonstrations.

There were fears that Mondlane could beryllium arrested connected his return, including connected charges related to the weeks of protests by his supporters, galore of them young Mozambicans hopeless for alteration aft 50 years nether the ruling Frelimo.

Frelimo, which has ruled Mozambique since the extremity of the warfare against Portuguese assemblage regularisation successful 1975, denies absorption accusations of electoral fraud. Western observers person said this year’s predetermination was not escaped and fair.

Al Jazeera’s Miller said the authorities is blaming Mondlane for “inciting” the unrest crossed the state successful caller weeks.

“They besides said that helium should wage for the damages caused successful Mozambique during that time. The question present is, however volition the authorities present respond?”

Mondlane’s supporters accidental his instrumentality from a two-month exile gives radical hope. “We young radical are present warring for our tomorrow,” said Fatima Pinto, 20, who trained arsenic a wide aesculapian technician.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies