“UN Secretary-General António Guterres vehemently condemned the murders in Maputo of Elvino Dias, legal adviser to Mozambican presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, and Paulo Guambe, legal representative of the Podemos political party,” Guterres’ office said yesterday (21 October).
This is the highest ever criticism of election misconduct and violence in Mozambique, and may push the international community to stop tolerating Frelimo’s total control of the electoral process.
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Venâncio Mondlane press briefing tear-gassed
Police this morning (Monday 21 October) broke up a small demonstration at Praça da OMM, Maputo, the site of the gunning down Saturday of Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe. Police tear-gassed the 300 to 500 demonstrators, and then tear-gassed Venâncio Mondlane briefing a group of journalists. Videos: https://bit.ly/Moz-El-VM-1 (7Mb) and https://bit.ly/Moz-El-VM-2 (35Mb)
Although the constitution guarantees the right to demonstrations, Maputo police do not accept this. And they particularly try to stop demonstration organisers talking to the press. on the street.
The attack Saturday was very similar to the assassination, just before elections five years ago, of civil society and observer leader Anastácio Matavel in Xai Xai. As on Saturday the attackers drove off, but in Xai Xai immediately caused a car crash, which injured the attackers and led them to be identified in court as a police hit squad.
In this attack, witnesses say that when police arrived they took and destroyed the smartphones of witnesses, which was shown on local TV.
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Special report: 25 years electoral fraud is on https://bit.ly/Moz-El-Fraud
