Mozambican Border Authority on Wednesday November 6 announced the temporary closure of its main border with Mozambique over safety concerns as post election protests in mozambique escalates.
The closure of the the Lebombo port of entry in its Mpumalanga province comes after receiving reports of vehicles being torched on the Mozambican side, a media source stated.
According to human rights groups, At least 18 people have been killed in the protests. Security forces for their side, have responded with tear gas and live ammunition while the government has restricted internet access and threatened to deploy the army.
The latest protests in Mozambique are part of a week of demonstrations called by presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, who came second in official results for the October 9 election but claims to have won, a claim which the electorial commission declined to comment on allegations of fraud.
Mozambique’s Defence Minister Cristovao Chume on Tuesday noted that the military was ready to intervene as the protests are set to culminate in a march on the capital Maputo on Thursday.
The outgoing president of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi on Tuesday urged for an end to protests. He said he believed the protests will only result in ‘destroying the country’ and its infrastructure.
