Police in Mozambique fired tear gas in Maputo on Monday to break up a crowd gathering for a protest organized by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane. The march, called to condemn the murder of two of Mondlane’s key supporters, was interrupted shortly after it began, with police detaining two protesters near the starting point.
The demonstration followed the killings of Elvino Dias, Mondlane’s lawyer, and Paulo Guambe, a Podemos party member, on Friday. The two were ambushed and shot in central Maputo. Police confirmed the attack occurred on Avenida Joaquim Chissano, and a woman in the car was also injured.
At 8:20 a.m., law enforcement fired tear gas at a small group of demonstrators, approximately 50 meters from where the march was set to start. One protester, Armando Morona, said he was struck by the gas and claimed the police acted without warning. “They’re just shooting back and forth,” he said. Despite the police action, Morona insisted, “We are here, nobody is going to back down.”
Maputo, typically bustling on a Monday morning, was unusually quiet, with light traffic and limited public transportation. Police were deployed in greater numbers near key locations, including the site of Friday’s killings.
Mondlane had announced the march in response to what he and his supporters allege are fraudulent preliminary results from the October 9 general elections. The protest, which included a strike across both public and private sectors, was intended to voice opposition to the killings and challenge the election process.
Despite police warnings of action against any violence or disorder, Mondlane’s supporters vowed to continue their protest against what they describe as growing political intimidation.
