Kehinde Fajobi
Gunmen in Mozambique have killed opposition lawyer Elvino Dias and Podemos party official Paulo Guambe, rights groups confirmed, intensifying tensions just before planned protests against disputed election results.
The victims were travelling in a car when assailants opened fire in the Bairro Da Coop neighbourhood of the capital, Maputo, on Saturday, according to the civil society election observer group More Integrity.
Human Rights Watch and Mozambique’s Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD) corroborated the attack, with CDD director Adriano Nuvunga describing it as a “cold-blooded murder.”
“They were brutally assassinated… around 10 to 15 bullets were shot, and they died instantly,” Nuvunga said in a phone interview with Reuters, adding that the attack sent a “message” to opposition protesters planning to strike on Monday.
The opposition party Podemos and its presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane have rejected provisional election results pointing to a win for Frelimo, Mozambique’s ruling party for the past 50 years, and its candidate Daniel Chapo. They have called for a nationwide protest strike on Monday.
The European Union and Mozambique’s former colonial ruler Portugal have condemned the killings, urging an investigation. A Frelimo spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
Mondlane’s political rise poses a challenge not only to Frelimo but also to Renamo, the former rebel group that has served as Mozambique’s main opposition party since the Cold War era.
Alex Vines, Africa programme director at Chatham House, described the murders as a “serious escalation” ahead of Monday’s protest strike, warning of heightened tensions.
Western election observers have raised concerns about the credibility of Mozambique’s election, citing vote-buying, voter intimidation, and irregularities in voter rolls and transparency in vote counting.
Many fear that Monday’s protests could lead to violence, as Mozambican security forces have a history of opening fire on demonstrators, including after last year’s local elections.
Full election results are expected by October 24.