Mozambique gov’t threatens to deploy army to quell protests over election results

The Mozambican government has threatened to deploy soldiers to quell opposition protests that are gaining momentum in response to the recent presidential election, which incumbent Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party won, thus extending its five-decade rule.
The unrest has engulfed the southern African nation after the opposition rejected the results of the country’s polls which saw the governing Frelimo party extend its 49-year repressive regime. Thousands of protestors have taken to the streets since the results were announced on 24 October, and the opposition has announced its plans to further escalate the unrest with the biggest rally across the capital Maputo on Thursday (7 November). “If the escalation of violence continues, the armed forces will replace the police on the ground to protect the interests of the state,” the country’s defense minister Cristóvão Chume warned on Tuesday, saying they were attempts to overthrow the democratically-elected government.
Amnesty International, a human rights organization, said on Wednesday (6 November) that at least 20 people have died and hundreds more injured and arrested in the latest wave of protests. “The regime is trying to use force to stop people from demonstrations. So far this has not worked, people are still on the street,” says Mozambican analyst Fredson Guilengue, adding that due to its repressive nature, the regime will likely increase its violence as it seems to have become the only way to effectively engage with those in power. Each election result in Mozambique for the past thirty years has lacked credibility and thus has been highly contested — not only by opposition figures but also by independent analysts.