Key Points
- Chapo takes office amid protests over a disputed election.
- Frelimo denies vote-rigging allegations despite claims from observers.
- Protests disrupt trade and fuel unrest in Mozambique.
After months of demonstrations over his contested election victory, Daniel Chapo, the leader of Mozambique’s long-ruling Frelimo party, was sworn in as president Wednesday in a ceremony that was barely attended.
Chapo sworn in despite protests over disputed election results
Since the vote on October 9, skirmishes with police forces have killed over 300 people, according to a local civil society monitoring group. Western observers agree with opposition leaders who think the election was rigged in Frelimo’s favor, calling it neither free nor fair. The claims of electoral fraud have been refuted by Frelimo.
Since Mozambique gained independence from Portuguese colonial authority in 1975, Frelimo has served as its leader. Prior to a peace deal in 1992, the country had endured a 15-year civil conflict that claimed one million lives.
Speaking to some 1,500 supporters in Maputo, the capital, Chapo promised to put social and political stability first while in office. He also revealed plans to focus on health and education, address youth unemployment, and cut back on the number of government ministries.
According to Reuters, there was a significant police and military presence throughout the inauguration, and the city center was mostly empty.
One of the few international leaders there was President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa.
Protests disrupt trade and businesses in resource-rich Mozambique
After returning from self-imposed exile last week, opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who finished second in the presidential contest, called for more protests against the election’s outcome.
Cross-border trade has been impacted, foreign businesses have been interrupted, and some inhabitants have fled to neighboring countries as a result of the protests against Frelimo, which are the biggest in the nation’s history.
With Chapo taking office under controversial circumstances, Mozambique, a resource-rich country in southern Africa with a population of 35 million, is now experiencing increasing instability.
