MAPUTO, Mozambique
At least three individuals were shot dead by the Mozambican police during the parade to greet the returning presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane who landed on Thursday morning, in Maputo International Airport, after a two months absence.
Although the thousands of
Mondlane supporters were unarmed, posing no obvious threat to security, the
police used live ammunition to disperse them.
The shooting began before
Mondlane’s plane landed and continued as Mondlane was driven to the centre of
the city.
Two individuals were shot in
Mavalane neighbourhood, while the third was shot in the area of the Estrela
Vermelha market, where Mondlane was addressing his supporters, despite a volley
of tear gas grenades.
Furthermore, the Mozambican
NGO, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has reported the mysterious
disappearance of its reporter, Milagre Tsumbir, after the police shot at
Mondlane’s sympathizers who were accompanying his motorcade.
According to the independent
television station TV Sucesso, after Mondlane had left Estrela Vermelha, the
police continued to pursue and disperse his supporters. In retaliation, the
crowd used rubbish containers to erect barricades on some of the city’s main
thoroughfares, including the road to the airport.
Mondlane had planned to
address a rally at Peace Square, but had second thoughts after the clashes with
the police at Estrela Vermelha.
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