Mozambican police clashed with opposition protesters in central Maputo on Monday as they demonstrated against the recent murders of two supporters of presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.
The unrest erupted shortly after 7:30am (0530 GMT), with police deploying teargas and firing shots into the air to disperse the gathering crowd, which responded with stones and pyrotechnic devices.
The protest was organised in the wake of the weekend killing of prominent opposition lawyer Elvino Dias and his election agent Paulo Guambe, who were shot dead shortly after midnight on Saturday.
The two men were ambushed by unknown assailants while sitting in their vehicle on Joaquim Chissano Avenue, a location frequented by Dias.
Eyewitness reports indicate that the police used dogs and a helicopter to monitor the protest site, which was also close to the scene of the double murder.
The demonstrators, rallying under slogans like “Save Mozambique,” faced heavy police resistance as they attempted to voice their outrage over the violence.
Mondlane, who arrived at the protest site about an hour late due to what he described as police surveillance of his home, urged attendees to end their march and return home, stating that the day’s goals had been achieved.
He condemned the police’s actions, arguing they demonstrated bias against the opposition.
The killings of Dias and Guambe have drawn widespread condemnation and raised concerns about political violence in Mozambique.
JN/APA