Mass Prison Break In Mozambique As Political Unrest Escalates

• Over 1,500 prisoners escape Mozambique prison amid election-related unrest, with 33 killed in clashes with guards.
• Mozambique faces widespread protests after the constitutional court confirms disputed election results favoring Frelimo.
• Unrest escalates with looted businesses, arson, and calls for demonstrations by opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane.

More than 1,500 inmates have escaped from a prison in Mozambique, exploiting the chaos caused by ongoing political unrest over disputed election results, police have confirmed.

Eko Hot Blog reports that at least 33 people were killed and 15 injured during clashes with prison guards, police chief Bernardino Rafael announced during a press conference. He also reported that approximately 150 fugitives have since been recaptured.

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The mass prison break occurred on Wednesday when groups of anti-government protesters approached the prison in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital. Prisoners took advantage of the turmoil to breach a wall and escape, Rafael explained.

Mozambique has been engulfed in unrest since the contested October elections. Official results initially declared Daniel Chapo, the ruling Frelimo party’s presidential candidate, victorious with 71% of the vote over his rival, Venâncio Mondlane, who secured 20%. However, Mozambique’s constitutional court recently revised Chapo’s margin to 65%, reigniting public outrage.

Protests surged on Monday after the court upheld Chapo’s victory, deepening the political crisis. Demonstrators have looted, vandalized, and torched Frelimo offices, police stations, banks, and factories across the country. The interior minister reported that at least 21 people have died in the latest wave of violence.

In the capital, Maputo, Christmas Eve resembled a ghost town, with businesses shuttered and residents staying indoors to avoid the violence.

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Mondlane, who has fled the country, has accused Frelimo of election fraud and urged his supporters to protest. In a recent social media post, he warned of a potential “popular uprising” if the results were not overturned.

Since the elections, approximately 150 people have been killed in three months of protests, underscoring the severity of Mozambique’s political crisis.

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