By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A Mozambique opposition lawyer and a party official have been killed by gunmen who fired multiple rounds of ammunition at a vehicle they were travelling in on Saturday, right groups said amidst tension over disputed election result.
New opposition party Podemos and its presidential candidate, Venancio Mondlane have rejected provisional result which shows a likely win for Daniel Chapo, the candidate of the governing Frelimo, the party that has ruled Mozambique for half a century.
The opposition party had called for a nationwide strike on Monday against the result.
“They were brutally assassinated (in a) cold-blooded murder,” Reuters quoted Adriano Nuvunga, the Director of Mozambique’s Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD) as saying in a telephone conversation.
“The indications that around 10 to 15 bullets were shot, and they died instantly,” he added, describing it as a “message” to opposition protesters planning to convene on Monday.
Also, Human Rights Watch in a statement confirmed the attack.
The European Union and Mozambique’s former colonial ruler Portugal condemned the killing and called for an investigation.
Alex Vines, Africa programme director at London-based international affairs think tank Chatham House, called the killing a “serious escalation” that raised tensions ahead of Monday’s protest.
International observers had raised concerns on the credibility of the poll, noting that reports of vote buying, intimidation, inflated voter figures and poor transparency had been received during collation.
The country has recorded similar problems in its electoral process since the governing party introduced democracy in 1994 after two decades in power.
Right groups have expressed concern that with final results expected on Oct. 24, Monday’s protest could turn bloody.
They alleged that Mozambique’s security forces have opened fire on protesters, including after last year’s local elections.
