In the last five months, Mozambique has been swept by a wave of protests, strikes, and social unrest, triggered by Venancio Mondlane’s rejection of the October 9 election results.
The protests have often turned violent, with clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement, episodes of looting, and acts of vandalism against public and private structures.
In response to this crisis, the Attorney General’s Office of Mozambique has opened 742 criminal proceedings, of which 31
concern members of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique. In total, 385 cases have already been concluded: 356 have resulted in indictments, while 29 have been dismissed for lack of evidence. Another 357 cases are still under investigation. The most affected regions are the province and city of Maputo, with 230 and 229 cases respectively, and the most frequent crime is aggravated robbery.
In parallel, nine civil proceedings have been initiated to obtain compensation for damages caused to the State. The situation is further aggravated by the mass escape from various penitentiaries: over 1,500 inmates have fled, with the most serious case occurring on December 25 in Maputo, when 1,534 prisoners escaped following riots in two maximum-security prisons. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, at least 35 detainees lost their lives on that occasion, while 233 were subsequently recaptured.
Other attacks against prisons have occurred in the provinces of Nampula, Zambézia, and Gaza, with characteristics defined by the authorities as “acts of real terrorism.”
According to NGOs monitoring the electoral process, the unrest has caused approximately 390 victims. The government has confirmed at least 80 deaths and damage to 1,677 commercial establishments, 177 schools, and 23 health facilities. However, a sign of détente occurred on March 23, when Venâncio Mondlane and President Daniel Chapo met for the first time, jointly committing to end post elections violence.
