Mozambique’s opposition politician Venâncio Mondlane has alleged an assassination attempt on his life following violent clashes between police and his supporters in Maputo on Wednesday.
The skirmishes allegedly erupted when the riot police attacked Mondlane’s motorcade during a peaceful march.
Mondlane, a former presidential candidate, had earlier addressed a rally at Youth Square in the Magoanine neighbourhood before leading a march along Julius Nyerere Avenue towards Combatants Square.
Witnesses reported that the riot police unexpectedly launched tear gas grenades into the crowd and opened fire with live ammunition, causing chaos and panic.
The opposition leader was quickly escorted to safety by his security team, but reports of the incident spread rapidly, with claims that the police had attempted to assassinate him.
The clashes prompted thousands of protesters to take to the streets, burning tyres and erecting barricades on major roads connecting the city’s outskirts to the centre.
Public transport was paralysed, forcing commuters to walk to their destinations.
The violence unfolded as President Daniel Chapo and representatives from nine political parties were signing a political agreement elsewhere in Maputo, aimed at fostering inclusive national dialogue.
Mondlane, however, was excluded from the agreement, which he criticised as lacking genuine representation of the people.
JN/APA