A prison riot in Mozambique’s capital Maputo claimed the lifes 33 people and injured 15, the country’s police general commander Bernardino Rafael said on Wednesday, as civil unrest linked to October’s disputed election continues.
A decision on Monday by Mozambique’s top court confirming long-ruling party Frelimo’s victory in the election has sparked fresh nationwide protests by opposition groups and their supporters who say the vote was rigged.
While Rafael blamed rallies outside the prison for inciting the incident, Justice Minister Helena Kida told local private network Miramar TV that the turmoil began inside the prison and had nothing to do with the protests.
“The confrontations after that resulted in 33 deaths and 15 injured in the vicinity of the jail.” Rafael told a media briefing.
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However, the identities of the deceased still remians unknown.
About 1,534 inmate escaped from the prison in the incident but 150 have now been recaptured, Rafael said, adding that there were prison break attempts at two other prisons.
“We are worried as a country, Mozambicans and security forces,” Rafael said. “We expect in the next 48 hours a rise in crime.”
On Tuesday, Mozambique’s interior minister said that at least 21 people were killed in unrest following the top court’s decision.
