Responding to reports that police in Mozambique’s Nampula city fired at and detained supporters of opposition presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane at a rally following disputed national elections, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Khanyo Farise, said: 

“Regardless of who wins the election, Mozambican police must respect people’s right to peaceful assembly. Shooting live bullets at a peaceful political rally and arbitrarily detaining opposition supporters is a gross violation of both Mozambican and international human rights law. 

“If people of any political views continue to hold peaceful rallies during and after the vote counting, police must uphold their obligation to ensure the safety of all those present.” 

Background

On 16 October, police shot at Mondlane’s supporters, wounding at least one person, during a public rally welcoming the candidate upon his arrival to Nampula city, an opposition stronghold. At the rally, police also arrested David Calisto Bandeira, a musician and prominent supporter of the opposition PODEMOS party. Police charged Bandeira with inciting violence for his pro-PODEMOS songs. 

Supporters of Mondlane and PODEMOS have been protesting since 12 October, when partial results showed the ruling Frelimo party’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, in the lead in Nampula province and elsewhere. 

On 10 October, one day after the elections, police also shot and wounded two other people at polling stations in Baundua locality of Buzi district in Sofala province and in the George Dimitrov neighbourhood of the capital city Maputo. 

Mondlane has called for a nationwide strike on 21 October amid allegations of irregularities during campaigning, voting and tallying.