MBABANE: A suspected riot inside a jail in Mozambique’s capital has left at least 33 people dead and 15 injured, while more than 1,500 prisoners escaped, Aljazeera reported.
It has been reported that,Police Commander General Bernardino Rafael on Wednesday said 150 of the prisoners who fled the prison in Maputo have been recaptured.
Mozambique is experiencing escalating civil unrest linked to October’s disputed election, which extended long-ruling party Frelimo’s stay in power. Opposition groups and their supporters claim the vote was rigged.
While Rafael blamed protests outside the prison for encouraging the riot, Justice Minister Helena Kida told local private broadcaster Miramar TV that the unrest was started inside the prison and had nothing to do with protests outside.
“The confrontations after that resulted in 33 deaths and 15 injured in the vicinity of the jail,” Rafael told a media briefing.
The identities of those killed and injured were unclear.
Mozambican security forces are seen next to a burning barricade in Maputo on December 24, 2024 [Amilton Neves/AFP]