“We confirm the escape of a large number of inmates from the Maputo high security prison, following a rebellion,” said the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Justino Tonela.
He said the high-security Maputo penitentiary, located just over 14 kilometers from the center of the Mozambican capital, houses more than 3,000 inmates in its high-security wing, including convicted prisoners and suspects of serious crimes. , mainly homicides.
Videos posted on social media show clashes between inmates and prison security forces, who fired several shots to try to contain the rebellion.
Mozambique is in the grip of protests that have caused chaos in several cities, mainly in Maputo, after the announcement of the final results of the October 9 general elections, with looting, vandalism and road barricades.
The Constitutional Council proclaimed, on Monday, Daniel Chapo, candidate supported by the ruling party, Frelimo, President-elect, with 65.17% of the votes. Chapo will succeed Filipe Nyusi as leader, with Frelimo also retaining a parliamentary majority in the disputed general election.
The announcement sparked unrest across the country, with supporters of opposition candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who the Constitutional Council said received only 24% of the vote, taking to the streets, erecting barricades, looting and clashing with police forces.
Reacting to the announcement of the results of the elections, which kept the Mozambique Liberation Front in power for half a century, Mondlane warned citizens from exile to prepare for “difficult days ahead”. “History is made of thorny and difficult moments, but the truth is that victory is guaranteed for all of us,” Mondlane said on social media.
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