Mozambique protests: Five dead, unrest disrupts key operations

At least five people were killed and three seriously injured in protests across Mozambique, including in Maputo, Nampula, and Zambezia, according to police. Orlando Mudumane, spokesman for the Police General Command, said clashes erupted between police and protesters armed with stones, knives, and machetes.

The demonstrations were reportedly called by Venancio Mondlane, a defeated presidential candidate, who accused the October 9 election results of being fraudulent and declared himself the winner.

From South Africa, where he sought refuge, Mondlane urged a week-long nationwide protest from December 4 to 11, aiming to block roads, railways, ports, and airports to "restore the truth about the elections."

Outgoing President Filipe Nyusi warned that the unrest could disrupt public sector salary payments, particularly for teachers and nurses, due to Mozambique's lack of external financial support.

In Matola, protests intensified after a 13-year-old boy was fatally shot by a plainclothes police officer. Residents blocked access to the Beleluane Industrial Park, home to Mozal, a major aluminum exporter, forcing the company to halt truck operations temporarily.