African Union chief condemns post-election violence in Mozambique

By Hassan Isilow

African Union Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat on Monday condemned the killing of two opposition figures in Mozambique and called for investigations to bring perpetrators to justice.

Gunmen Saturday shot dead Elvino Dias, the lawyer of Venancio Mondlane, the presidential candidate for the opposition Podemos party.

Paulo Guambe, a Podemos party official, was also killed along with Dias when gunmen shot at their vehicle in the capital Maputo.

“The Chairperson (of the African Union) calls on the Mozambican security authorities to undertake the necessary investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice,” the African Union said in a statement.

Podemos has been disputing the partial election results that show the ruling Frelimo party, which has been in power for half a century since independence, was in the lead.

Although votes are still being counted in the Southern African nation, Mondlane claimed he has won the polls.

Official election results are expected to be released this week.

Calling for calm, the African Union chief said he continues to closely monitor the aftermath of the conduct of the general elections in Mozambique and expressed concern over the reported cases of post-election violence and in particular the recent killings.

- Police disperse protesters

According to local media reports, police on Monday fired tear gas to disperse opposition supporters who had started gathering to take part in Monday’s marches called by Mondlane to condemn the murders of his lawyer and a party official.

The protests were also aimed at disputing election results.

“At 8.20 a.m. local time (GMT 09:20), about 50 meters from where the gathering began, tear gas was fired to disperse a small group of demonstrators, and the police took two of them away,” according to the news website Club of Mozambique.

Mahamat has urged all political actors in Mozambique to maintain a peaceful disposition as the country awaits the official declaration of the final results by the Constitutional Council.