• Mozambique
• Prison

MOZAMBIQUE PRISON RIOT LEAVES 33 DEAD, 15 INJURED AMID CIVIL UNREST

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  CapitalTimesNews / 4 months
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• 1 min read

A prison riot in Mozambique’s capital Maputo has resulted in 33 deaths and 15 injuries, according to the country’s police general commander Bernardino Rafael. The riot occurred amidst ongoing civil unrest linked to October’s disputed election, which saw the long-ruling party Frelimo’s victory confirmed by the top court on Monday. The confirmation of Frelimo’s victory has sparked fresh nationwide protests by opposition groups and their supporters, who claim the vote was rigged. Rafael attributed the riot to protests outside the prison, stating “The confrontations after that resulted in 33 deaths and 15 injured in the vicinity of the jail”. However, Justice Minister Helena Kida countered that the unrest began inside the prison and was unrelated to the external protests. Approximately 1,534 prisoners escaped during the incident, with 150 recaptured so far. Rafael warned of a potential rise in crime within the next 48 hours, expressing concern for the country’s security forces and citizens. Mozambique’s interior minister reported that at least 21 people were killed in unrest following the top court’s decision. Prior to Tuesday, civil society monitoring group Plataforma Decide estimated that at least 130 people had been killed in clashes with police since the unrest began. Credit: Reuters