Human Rights Watch accuses police of shooting at protests and killing three people in Mozambique

Mozambican security forces “used excessive force, including live ammunition,” in demonstrations against local election results, leaving at least three people dead, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Saturday.

In a statement, the human rights non-governmental organization (NGO) also accused Mozambican police of using “rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters, the vast majority of whom were peaceful.”

HRW said the use of “lethal force” to quell protests led to the deaths of at least three people, including a 10-year-old boy returning from school in Nampula province in northern Mozambique.

The case was reported by Mozambican NGO Centro de Integridade Pública, which added that the policeman who allegedly hit the child died on Friday, the victim of attacks by members of the public in retaliation.

The same organization said that in the city of Nacala, a young man died from blunt force trauma in the main local market following clashes between the population and the authorities.

“Authorities must immediately investigate why security forces opened fire, bring charges against those responsible (…) and take action to prevent further bloodshed,” said HRW deputy Africa director Ashwani Budu-Scholz.

Nampula police spokesman Zacarias Nakute confirmed the incidents to HRW without providing details, and later criticized the opposition for allowing children to join the protests.

There is tension in cities across Mozambique, with demonstrations taking place in Maputo, Nampula and Nacala against the results of municipal elections on 11 October.

On Friday, police announced that at least 10 people were injured and another 70 were detained in various parts of Mozambique.

Official results showed victories for the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) party in 64 of the country’s 65 municipalities, while MDM, the third-largest party, won only in Beira.

The sixth municipal elections in Mozambique took place in 65 municipalities across the country, including 12 new municipalities that went to vote for the first time.

The Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), the main opposition party, is holding marches across the country to contest the results, rallying thousands of people to denounce the alleged “mega-fraud”.

“The post-election violence in Mozambique shows that security forces are determined to silence opposition voices rather than show restraint,” Boudou-Scholz said.

“Mozambique’s regional and international partners must apply significant pressure to ensure that those responsible for these abuses are charged and that the government prevents future abuses,” the HRW spokesperson added.