Police accused of killing pot-banging protesters

The mourners at a cemetery in crisis-hit Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, have been strikingly younger – kids dropping tears as they bade farewell to a 16-year-old good friend, who used to be shot lifeless whilst banging pots and pans in an opposition-organised protest towards the result of final month’s presidential election.

“Antonio used to be shot within the mouth, and the bullet went throughout the again of his head,” his uncle, Manuel Samuel, informed the BBC.

“We noticed CCTV pictures from within sight stores of police taking pictures at protesters,” he added.

Antonio Juaqim’s killing is a sad reminder of the unstable political local weather within the southern African state since Frelimo – the previous liberation motion in energy since independence 49 years in the past – used to be declared the winner of the ballot.

The electoral fee stated Frelimo’s presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo, gained with a whopping 71% of the vote, in comparison to the 20% of his closest rival, Venâncio Mondlane.

An evangelical pastor who contested the presidency as an unbiased after breaking clear of the primary opposition Renamo get together, Mondlane rejected the declaration, alleging the ballot used to be rigged.

This used to be denied by way of the electoral fee, however Mondlane – who fled the rustic, fearing arrest – has rallied his supporters by the use of social media to protest towards the outcome.

Each and every evening at 21:00 native time (19:00 GMT), folks were banging pots and pans of their properties, as they heed Mondlane’s name to ship a noisy message that they reject an extension of Frelimo’s 49-year rule.

Mr Samuel stated the protest used to be first held at the evening of 15 November when massive numbers of folks took to the streets to bang pots, pans and bottles or to blow whistles.

“It used to be as although a brand new Mozambique used to be being born,” he added.

However the evening ended tragically, with Antonio being amongst the ones killed by way of police, Mr Samuel stated.

Since then the general public were sporting out the protest inside of their properties, with the sound of banged pots and pans echoing throughout Maputo at 21:00 each evening.

At Antonio’s funeral on the São Francisco Xavier Cemetery 4 days after his killing, one in all his pals delivered his mom’s eulogy: “You have been so lively and hope. Now you’re a sufferer of a bullet.”

Crying, Antonio’s pals planted vegetation on his grave earlier than bursting vibrant balloons over it, a reminder that he used to be only a kid.

“On the morgue I counted six our bodies of babies,” Mr Manuel informed the BBC.

“They’re killing us and our long run,” he added.

Marketing campaign crew Human Rights Watch stated that about 40 folks – together with a minimum of 10 kids – were killed by way of police right through the post-election protests.

Mozambique’s police commander Bernadino Raphael expressed sympathy with the households of the sufferers, however deflected accountability for the deaths, blaming Mondlane’s supporters.

“They’re the usage of kids as shields in entrance of them whilst they continue to be at the back of,” he alleged in a BBC interview.

The commander added that during many cases police had no selection however to protect themselves from protesters who had unleashed violence, together with killing six officials and looting and burning assets and cars.

“We recorded 103 injured folks, 69 of whom have been law enforcement officials,” he stated.

However Albino Forquilha, the chief of the Optimist Celebration for the Building of Mozambique, which sponsored Mondlane’s presidential bid, accused police of the usage of over the top pressure to suppress dissent.

“It feels as although they’re getting used to give protection to the ruling get together,” he informed the BBC.

South Africa-based Institute for Safety Research analyst Borges Nhamirre stated this used to be the primary time Mozambique had witnessed such a lot of casualties, and injury to assets, right through protests.

He stated it used to be transparent that Frelimo had misplaced recognition, particularly amongst younger individuals who have been “in search of jobs, in search of vocational coaching, in search of a plot to construct their space, in search of some cash”.

“They do not care about who introduced independence. The independence they would like is their monetary independence,” Mr Nhamirre stated.

After the outcome used to be introduced on 24 October, Chapo used to be adamant that he and Frelimo had gained in a unfastened and truthful contest, announcing: “We’re an organised get together that prepares its victories.”

Since then he has stored a particularly low profile, looking forward to the courts to rule on Mondlane’s bid to annul the outcome.

In an obvious try to stay up the force forward of the ruling, a lot of Mondlane’s supporters additionally heeded his name to mourn the lifeless for 3 days (till 22 November) by way of preventing their cars and hooting at midday.

Like Antonio, 20-year-old Alito Momad used to be allegedly killed by way of police right through the protests.

The BBC got here throughout a few of his pals in a neighbourhood out of doors Maputo, maintaining an evening vigil for him on terrorist organization.

With a Mozambican flag laid out at the ground subsequent to burning candles, Alito’s pals confirmed us a photograph of him – with what gave the look to be a gunshot wound at the back of his head.

It used to be every other reminder of the way the election had lower quick the lives of younger folks, with their pals and relations hoping they are going to get justice as Mozambique is going via one in all its maximum turbulent sessions for the reason that introduction of multi-party democracy about 30 years in the past.