Mozambique’s main opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane has called for unity ahead of a fresh round of protests against the outcome of presidential elections.
In a live broadcast on his Facebook page, Mondlane – who is in self-imposed exile – urged citizens to join hands in their neighbourhoods at 11.45pm and sing the national anthem until the New Year kicks in.
“We must find ourselves again as Mozambicans,” he said.
Mozambique has faced one of is bloodiest weeks since October, when Mondlane first called for protests after rejecting his defeat in the elections.
A local monitoring group, Plataforma Decide, said that 179 people died in riots last week, after the country’s highest court confirmed that the ruling party candidate, Daniel Chapo, won the election.
This brought the death toll to 278 people since demonstrations began after the electoral commission declared Chapo the winner of elections in October, extending Frelimo’s 49-year rule.
The fatalities include protesters, children and members of the security forces.
Mondlane fled Mozambique, saying his life was in danger after two of his aides were shot dead in October.
In his latest address, he urged people to “cook and socialise” in their neighbourhoods, before a new wave of protests begin on 2 January.
“I am ready to lose my life for this fight,” he added.
He previously said he will install himself as president on 15 January – the day Chapo is due to be sworn in – despite the constitutional court upholding his rival’s victory.
It is unclear how Mondlane intends to take office, given he is in self-imposed exile.
In a statement, Chapo said he would serve as “the President for all” after his inauguration.
“We will soon work together on solutions to the problems caused by this unfortunate situation,” he added.
The electoral commission declared Chapo the winner of the election with 71% of the vote, compared to Mondlane’s 20%.
The constitutional court revised the result last week, giving Chapo 65% and Mondlane 24%.
International election observers previously said the vote was flawed, pointing to doctored numbers and other irregularities during the counting process.
The ensuing protests have dealt a severe blow to Mozambique’s economy.
More than 12,000 people have lost their jobs and more than 500 companies have been vandalised, Onorio Manuel, vice-president of the country’s Confederation of Economic Associations, told local news website O Pais.
Along with businesses, Frelimo offices, courts, police stations and road toll booths have been torched.
Last week, the police reported that more than 1,500 prisoners escaped from a maximum security prison, taking advantage of the political unrest.
Neighbouring countries have also felt the impact of Mozambique’s unrest. Several thousand Mozambicans have fled across the border into Malawi as a result of the violence.
And a concerned South Africa dispatched a special envoy, Sydney Mufamadi, to Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, to discuss the crisis with President Filipe Nyusi, who is due to step down at the end of his two terms.
Mufamadi said the discussion focused on understanding the nature of the crisis and exploring how South Africa could help resolve it.
South African officials say they have stepped up intelligence and security operations along the border in order to prevent criminal elements from crossing.
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