Podemos social gathering’s lawyer Elvino Dias and social gathering consultant Paulo Guambe killed earlier than protests towards the disputed vote.
Gunmen in Mozambique have killed a number one opposition politician’s lawyer and one other opposition official, in keeping with their social gathering, earlier than protests towards a disputed election end result.
The attackers chased the automotive of Podemos social gathering’s lawyer Elvino Dias and social gathering consultant Paulo Guambe and fatally shot them late on Friday evening within the capital Maputo, the social gathering mentioned on Saturday.
Movies on social media confirmed a BMW SUV in the course of the street with quite a few bullet holes within the bodywork. A few of the movies confirmed what gave the impression to be the our bodies of two males, one with blood on his chest, within the entrance seats. The opposite physique was slumped over.
The killings got here with tensions already excessive within the southern African nation because it waits for the outcomes of an October 9 election that has drawn extra allegations of vote-rigging and clamping down on dissent towards the 49-year rule of the Entrance for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) social gathering.
Podemos has rejected provisional outcomes displaying a win for Frelimo and known as for a nationwide strike on Monday. Though Venancio Mondlane ran for president as an impartial, he was supported by Podemos.
The killings are “additional clear proof of the dearth of justice that we’re all subjected to”, Podemos acknowledged.
“They had been brutally assassinated [in a] cold-blooded homicide,” Adriano Nuvunga, director of Mozambique’s Heart for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD), advised the Reuters information company by phone.
“The indication [is] that round 10 to fifteen bullets had been shot, and so they died immediately.”
Human Rights Watch additionally issued an announcement confirming the assault.
Based on the most recent election tally, Frelimo is main in all 11 provinces and its candidate Daniel Chapo is broadly anticipated to win the election. Chapo is predicted to be introduced as successor to President Filipe Nyusi, who has served a most of two phrases.
Podemos and different opposition events have accused Frelimo of electoral fraud. Western observers have additionally solid doubt on the polls, citing studies of vote-buying, intimidation, and inflated voter rolls in Frelimo strongholds.
Mozambique has struggled with these points since Frelimo first launched democracy in 1994 after 20 years in energy. The election’s remaining outcomes are anticipated on October 24, however there are fears Monday’s protest could possibly be violent.
Mozambique’s safety forces have opened hearth on political protesters prior to now, together with after final 12 months’s native elections, in keeping with rights teams.
Nuvunga, the NGO director, wrote on social media that the killing of Dias was a “political assassination”.
