Mozambique’s opposition leader Venancio Mondlane announced Sunday that demonstrations against the outcome of the October 8 presidential election would be suspended for five days to allow humanitarian and international bodies to assess the state of human rights in the country.
In a Facebook broadcast, Mondlane said the pause would facilitate the entry of regional actors into Mozambique, adding that a group of former southern African heads of state had expressed interest in mediating an end to the crisis, Club of Mozambique reported Monday.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has dispatched his national security advisor to Maputo amid escalating unrest, as South Africa shares a border with Mozambique and holds significant investments in its mining, energy, and construction sectors.
The crisis has intensified since November when South Africa temporarily closed the Lubombo border crossing after protesters torched vehicles on Mozambique’s side of the frontier.
Mondlane, who alleged the election was rigged, had vowed to install himself as president despite not currently being in the country. His claims follow Mozambique’s top court upholding the re-election of Daniel Chapo from the ruling Frelimo party last week, albeit with a reduced margin of victory.
Protests against the election outcome have resulted in more than 250 deaths since October, with civil society groups attributing most of the casualties to gunfire from security forces.
Observers are now looking to the regional and international community to mediate and defuse the impasse, which poses risks for stability in Mozambique and the broader region.
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