At least five people were killed and three others seriously injured in protests across Mozambique, including in Maputo, Nampula, and Zambezia, according to police reports. Orlando Mudumane, spokesman for the Police General Command, stated that violent clashes erupted between police and protesters armed with stones, knives, and machetes.
The demonstrations were reportedly organized by Venancio Mondlane, a defeated presidential candidate, who claimed that the October 9 election results were fraudulent and declared himself the winner. From his refuge in South Africa, Mondlane called for a nationwide protest from December 4 to 11, aiming to block key infrastructure such as roads, railways, ports, and airports to “restore the truth” about the elections.
Outgoing President Filipe Nyusi warned that the unrest could disrupt public sector salary payments, particularly for teachers and nurses, due to Mozambique’s lack of external financial support.
Protests escalated in Matola after a 13-year-old boy was fatally shot by a plainclothes police officer. In response, residents blocked access to the Beleluane Industrial Park, home to the Mozal aluminum plant, temporarily halting the company’s truck operations.