Over 6,000 inmates escaped from a high-security prison in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, on Christmas Day following a rebellion, as the country grapples with violent post-election unrest.
The country’s police chief, Bernardino Rafael, reported that 33 prisoners died and 15 were injured in clashes with security forces.
The escape took place amid widespread protests following the confirmation of the ruling Frelimo party’s victory in the October 9 elections.
Demonstrators destroyed police stations, vehicles, and other infrastructure in the chaos.
Rafael explained that the unrest began around midday on Wednesday near the Maputo Central Prison, located about 14 kilometers southwest of the city.
A group of protesters, described as “subversive,” began agitating nearby, and some prisoners managed to seize weapons from guards, initiating a mass breakout. “A curious fact is that in that prison we had 29 convicted terrorists, who they released. We are worried, as a country, as Mozambicans, as members of the defense and security forces,” Rafael stated.
Rafael further explained that the protests intensified and caused the collapse of a prison wall, enabling the prisoners to escape.
“They (protesters) were making noise, demanding that they be able to remove the prisoners who are there serving their sentences,” he said.
The police chief has urged the escaped prisoners to turn themselves in, urging the public to remain vigilant.
Videos circulating on social media show the moment the inmates escaped, with military personnel and prison guards later capturing some. Many tried to hide in nearby homes, but several were recaptured.
One video shows a prisoner still wearing handcuffs on his right wrist, explaining he had been in the disciplinary section of the prison before being freed by fellow inmates.
The violence in Mozambique has escalated since the Constitutional Council confirmed Daniel Chapo of the Frelimo party as the winner of the contested presidential election.
The country’s Interior Minister, Pascoal Ronda, revealed that the violence was mostly instigated by young supporters of Venancio Mondlane, the second-place candidate, who garnered 24% of the vote, compared to Chapo’s 65%.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern about the ongoing violence, calling for all political leaders and relevant parties to “defuse tensions including through meaningful dialogue (and) legal redress,” according to U.N. spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay.
Guterres also urged for an end to the violence and called for renewed efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
