More than 1,500 inmates have escaped from a prison in Mozambique amid political turmoil sparked by disputed election results, police have reported.
According to Police Chief Bernardino Rafael, 33 people were killed and 15 injured in clashes with guards during the escape.
He also confirmed that around 150 of the fugitives have since been recaptured.
The mass prison break occurred on Wednesday in the capital, Maputo, as anti-government protesters approached the facility.
Prisoners took advantage of the chaos, knocking down a wall to make their escape, Rafael explained during a press conference.
The unrest stems from October’s presidential elections, where official results declared the ruling Frelimo party’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, as the winner.
Protests escalated after Mozambique’s constitutional court confirmed Chapo’s victory on Monday, though it revised his margin of victory downwards.
Initial results showed Chapo winning 71% of the vote, while his main opponent, Venâncio Mondlane, secured 20%. The court later adjusted the figures to 65% for Chapo and 24% for Mondlane.
The political crisis has paralyzed the country, with Maputo resembling a ghost town on Christmas Eve. Businesses remain shuttered as residents stay home to avoid the unrest, the worst seen since Frelimo came to power in 1975.
Nationwide protests have led to widespread destruction, with Frelimo offices, police stations, banks, and factories looted, vandalized, or set ablaze. At least 21 people have been killed in the violence since Monday, according to the interior minister.
Mondlanho has fled the country, has accused the government of rigging the election.
In a recent social media post, he called on supporters to rise against the results, warning of a “new popular uprising” if the outcome is not overturned.
BBC/Patience Ameh
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