Mozambican civil society group Plataforma Decide told AFP that 388 people were killed between October 2024 and January 2025.
Among the civil unrest in Mozambique, Amnesty International has called for an urgent and independent investigation into the deaths of nearly 400 people during a violent state crackdown on anti-government protests.
The unrest followed the disputed re-election of President Daniel Chapo in October 2024.
According to AFP, on Wednesday, Amnesty accused Mozambican police and military forces of using “reckless and unnecessary” force, including live ammunition, against largely peaceful demonstrators.
The rights organisation based its findings on open-source data, video footage, and interviews with more than two dozen individuals affected by the crackdown.
ALSO READ: Mozambique’s leaders talk peace after election protests turn deadly
Fatal shooting caught on livestream
Amnesty described a harrowing incident on 12 December, where police allegedly shot and killed a 30-year-old man who was livestreaming their actions on social media to over 60,000 followers.
As reported by AFP, the man was shot twice in the back after refusing to stop filming, according to an eyewitness who spoke with the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Mozambican civil society group Plataforma Decide told AFP that 388 people were killed between October 2024 and January 2025.
More than 3 000 others were injured, including children as young as nine
ALSO READ: USAID freeze pushes Lesotho’s HIV patients to traditional healers
Opposition under fire
The unrest stemmed from growing dissatisfaction with the official election results.
Opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, a former radio presenter popular among the youth, came second with 24% of the vote, though he claims he won with 53% and accuses the ruling Frelimo party of rigging the polls.
According to El País, the elections represented the strongest opposition challenge to Frelimo in decades.
It reported that Mondlane’s call for nationwide protests led to mass demonstrations met with overwhelming police force.
As AFP further reported, authorities also shut down or throttled internet access at the height of the protests, limiting communication and the spread of images and video footage.
ALSO READ: Trial of Tunisian opposition figures resumes, six on hunger strike
‘Chilling message’ from authorities
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has also documented the killing of at least 10 opposition officials between October and March, most of whom were helping to organise protests, reportedly by AFP.
“The failure of Mozambique’s police to credibly investigate the killings […] sends a chilling message that the authorities have no interest in bringing those responsible to justice,” said Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, HRW’s deputy Africa director.
Amnesty has urged Mozambique’s attorney general to ensure that “all allegations of killing, bodily harm, arbitrary detention, torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment by law enforcement officials are thoroughly and impartially investigated.”
Although tensions have cooled slightly following a surprise reconciliation meeting between Chapo and Mondlane last month, critics say the situation remains fragile.
According to AIM News, Mondlane has since warned that “future protests will be 100 times worse” if demands for accountability and electoral transparency are ignored.
NOW READ: Sudan marks two years of war with no end in sight
