Ahead of a major opposition march scheduled for 7 November in Maputo, Amnesty International has called on Mozambique’s Frelimo-led government to halt its violent crackdown on protesters immediately and respect fundamental rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. The current crisis marks the country’s most severe repression of protests in years.
Since the disputed general elections on 9 October 2024, police have killed more than 20 people, while hundreds have been injured or arrested. Authorities have consistently used tear gas, bullets, and arbitrary arrests to disperse peaceful assemblies. The government claims that protesters killed at least one police officer during these confrontations.
“The last two weeks in Mozambique have been marked by completely unnecessary bloodshed as authorities have tried to stop a peaceful protest movement with deadly force,” said Khanyo Farise, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. “The number of casualties increases every day, with authorities deploying weapons of war, including rifles and armored vehicles, on city streets. People cannot even protest in their own homes without risking tear gassing by police.”
In response to the ongoing protests, the government has repeatedly cut internet access and blocked social media sites for nearly a week. Two leading opposition figures, Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe, were assassinated in Maputo on 19 October. Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who has become a symbol of resistance, is currently in hiding.
Farise emphasized that the international community must take action. “This outrageous chapter in Mozambique’s history must end now, and perpetrators must be brought to justice,” he said. “Mozambique’s government must pull back from the brink to avert further human rights violations.”
The violence follows allegations of vote-rigging by opposition members and independent observers, which sparked protests during and after the vote-counting process. On 21 October, police violently dispersed a press conference and protests led by Mondlane, who had called for a nationwide strike in response to the election results.
Doctors’ associations reported on 29 October that at least ten people had been killed during the protests, with more casualties expected as demonstrations continue through early November. The international community, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU), has been urged to speak out against the ongoing human rights violations.
Mozambique’s troubled history of electoral violence, including previous incidents last year, has raised alarms among civil society groups, further fueling concerns over the country’s stability and human rights record.