More than 1,500 prisoners escape in Mozambique amid post-election unrest

AFP | Maputo

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Mozambique More than 1,500 prisoners escaped from a Maputo prison Wednesday, taking advantage of the third day of unrest triggered by the controversial confirmation of the long-ruling Frelimo party as the winner of recent elections.

A total of 1,534 detainees escaped the high-security prison located about 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the capital, said national police chief Bernardino Rafael at a press conference.

Among those attempting to escape, 33 were killed and 15 wounded in clashes with prison staff, he added. A search operation, backed by the army, led to the arrest of about 150 fugitives, he said.

Around 30 of the prisoners were linked to armed groups that have been behind unrest and attacks in the northern province of Cabo Delgado for the past seven years. “We are particularly concerned about this situation,” Rafael said. The Portuguese-speaking African country’s highest court had confirmed on Monday that Frelimo, in power since 1975, won the October 9 presidential election that had already triggered weeks of unrest. Groups of protesters had approached the penitentiary Wednesday, creating confusion and triggering unrest inside the prison, where inmates ended up knocking down a wall through which they escaped, he explained.

Barricades remained erected in several areas of the capital Wednesday, limiting movements, as acts of vandalism continued.

In addition to stores and public buildings that were already ransacked Monday, ambulances were set ablaze along with a drugstore and other businesses, according to an AFP correspondent.

Some demonstrators also set up tables in the streets to occupy the space while celebrating Christmas with family or neighbours, an AFP journalist witnessed in several working-class districts of Maputo. Monday’s confirmation of the election result came despite claims of irregularities from many observers.

Frelimo leader Daniel Chapo won 65.17 percent of the vote, about five points less than the initial results declared by the country’s electoral commission.

Chapo’s main challenger, exiled opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, has claimed the election was rigged, sparking fears of violence between rival party Mozambican security forces are seen next to a burning barricade in Maputo supporters.