MALINDZA: Refugees fleeing post-election violence in Mozambique are pouring over the Lubombo range to seek refuge in Eswatini. This comes as opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane who believes he won but was cheated in last month’s elections called for more demonstrations today.
Home Affairs spokesman Mlandvo Dlamini told Today that so far 35 people have registered at the Malindza Refugee Centre. Others who would normally cross through informal points on the border could be anywhere.
“Many people that flee Mozambique will simply wander around the countryside. They will be hungry or without water. We ask that people who come across these refugees treat them well and report their presence to the police or Home Affairs so that everyone is known and are assisted,” Dlamini said.
Eswatini which shares two borders with Mozambique at Lomahasha and the 24-hour border at Mhlumeni has not suffered any disruptions from the Eastern neighbours’ problems.
However fear of post elections violence spilling over into neighbouring South Africa forced the closure of the Komatipoort Border last week. The border has since reopened.
In Addis Ababa, the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) began meeting today to consider Mozambique’s post-election situation in Mozambique following weeks of post-election violence that has spread to all parts of Mozambique since elections on 9 October 2024.
The meeting comes as presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane who claims to have won the elections but was cheated by the FRELIMO government calls for another 3 days of nationwide protest beginning today. Mondlane broke away the main opposition party
RENAMO to become the candidate of Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (PODEMOS). He has managed not only to change the historical domination of the two parties that fought in Mozambique’s 16-year civil war, but also to rally significant support from the public, particularly the youth.
Mondlane claims to have received 53% of the votes based on reports of party agents and exit polls. But as he and PODEMOS were planning to challenge the elections, his legal advisor Elvino Dias and PODEMOS spokesman Paulo Guambe were shot dead in Maputo sparking an outbreak of violent protests in an already tense environment on 19 October.
A 24 October announcement by Mozambique’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) that FRELIMO had won the with a 70.67% majority added more fuel to the protests. Mozambican authorities imposed restrictions on internet access and blocked social media sites in an apparent attempt to curb the spread of information and organise protests.
At least 30 people are reported to have been killed in clashes with security forces.
On Thursday South Africa closed its main overland border at Komatipoort on the EN4 highway leading to Nelspruit in fear of post elections violence in Mozambique’s border town of and Ressano Garcia, with huge economic consequences.
The border closure resulted in disruption to cargo moving through the Maputo Port, has amounted to losses of approximately R5 billion so far, the Johannesburg based financial news service Moneyweb reported, quoting Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association.
The border has since opened, though it’s not certain for how long as Mondlane in his fourth and most recent call for more demonstrations has asked protesters to specifically target economically significant locations, including Maputo, provincial capitals, ports, and borders.
As of yesterday, at least 30 protesters are believed to have been killed, according to NGOs. Authorities confirmed restricting internet access to prevent the spread of unrest.
News sources foresee thousands of protesters again likely joining nationwide rallies in the coming days. Protest activity will likely occur in large urban areas, such as Maputo, Beira, Quelimane, Nacala, Nampula, and Pemba.
Jm/news agencies/today/13.11.2024
