Mozambican police fired on supporters of opposition leader Venancio Mondlane marching in the capital Maputo on Wednesday, injuring at least 10 people.
Mondlane’s team and human rights researchers confirmed the incident, while a police spokesperson acknowledged that law enforcement had dispersed the marchers but declined to provide further details.
The march occurred hours before President Daniel Chapo signed an agreement with some political parties aimed at ending months of protests over Chapo’s disputed election victory last year.
Mondlane, who came second in the presidential vote, has been excluded from the talks leading up to the agreement, which is meant to include a review of the country’s electoral laws.
Analysts believe that Mondlane’s exclusion from the talks undermines the agreement’s potential to stabilize the resource-rich Southern African country.
Mondlane’s team reported that 16 people were injured, and his whereabouts remain unknown after police broke up the march.
Human Rights Watch confirmed that at least 10 people were injured by police, and expressed concerns that the use of force against peaceful opposition gatherings jeopardizes efforts to bring stability to Mozambique.
Local civil society monitoring groups report that over 350 people have been killed in post-election demonstrations since late October.
