More than 1,500 prisoners escape in Mozambique amid unrest: police

MAPUTO: More than 1,500 prisoners escaped from a Maputo prison on Wednesday, taking advantage of the third day of unrest triggered by the controversial confirmation of long-ruling Frelimo party as winner of recent elections.

A total 1,534 detainees escaped the high security prison located some 15-kms from the capital, said national police chief Bernardino Rafael at a press conference. A prison riot in Mozambique’s capital Maputo left 33 people dead, the country’s police general commander Bernardino Rafael said.

About 1,534 people escaped from the prison in the incident but 150 of them have now been recaptured, Rafael said. 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.

Mozambique’s interior minister said on Tuesday that at least 21 people were killed in unrest after the country’s top court on Monday confirmed Frelimo’s victory.