At least 6,000 inmates escape Mozambique prison after election unrest
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Police chief reports 33 prisoners killed and 15 others injured following clash with security forces.
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A protester holds a machete as he gestures next to a burning barricade in Maputo on December 23, 2024. (AFP)
On Christmas Day, at least 6,000 inmates escaped from a high-security prison in Maputo, Mozambique, following a rebellion, according to the country’s police chief.
Bernardino Rafael, the national police commander, reported that 33 prisoners were killed and 15 others injured during clashes with security forces.
The escape occurred amid violent protests that erupted after Mozambique’s constitutional council confirmed the ruling Frelimo party's victory in the October 9 elections. During the unrest, police cars, stations, and other public infrastructure were destroyed.
The breakout from Maputo’s central prison, located 14km southwest of the city, began around midday on Wednesday after "agitation" by "a group of subversive protesters." Rafael explained that prisoners seized weapons from officers and began freeing fellow detainees.
He highlighted, “A curious fact is that in that prison we had 29 convicted terrorists, who they released. We are worried, as a country, as Mozambicans, as members of the defense and security forces."
Rafael also described the protests, which led to the collapse of a prison wall, enabling the inmates to escape. “They [protesters] were making noise demanding that they be able to remove the prisoners who are there serving their sentences,” he said.
Authorities are calling for the voluntary surrender of the escaped prisoners and are urging the public to stay informed about the fugitives' whereabouts.
Around 1,500 prisoners have broken out of a high security jail in Mozambique, knocking down a wall and fleeing amid unrest caused by disputed election results. Many 'high-risk' inmates are housed at the prison pic.twitter.com/JVqRWthORA
— RT (@RT_com) December 27, 2024
Videos circulating on social media showed the inmates fleeing the prison, while others depicted military personnel and guards capturing some of the escapees. In one video, a prisoner, still handcuffed on his right wrist, said he had been in the disciplinary section of the maximum-security prison before being released by fellow inmates.
Election unrest
Protesters have ransacked stores, public buildings, and businesses, with ambulances and a drugstore among the properties set ablaze. In some working-class districts, demonstrators set up tables in the streets to celebrate Christmas with family and neighbors, AFP journalists observed.
The unrest follows the announcement that Frelimo leader Daniel Chapo won 65.17% of the October 9 presidential vote, a result confirmed by the country’s highest court despite allegations of electoral irregularities.
Chapo’s main challenger, opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who is currently in exile, has accused the government of rigging the election, fueling fears of further violence between rival factions.
The turmoil has claimed at least 150 lives so far, according to several NGOs, and has heightened concerns about escalating instability in the Portuguese-speaking African nation.
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