More than 1,500 prisoners escaped from a prison near Maputo on Wednesday, taking advantage of a third day of unrest sparked by the controversial confirmation of the long-ruling Frelimo party as winner of recent elections.
A total of 1,534 prisoners escaped from the high-security prison, located about 15 kilometers from the capital, national police chief Bernardino Rafael told a news conference.
Of those who tried to escape, 33 were killed and 15 were injured in clashes with prison staff, he said.
He said about 150 fugitives were arrested in the searches conducted with the support of the army.
About 30 of the prisoners were linked to armed groups that have been behind unrest and attacks in the northern province of Cabo Delgado for the past seven years.
“We are particularly concerned about this situation,” Rafael said.
The Portuguese-speaking African country’s highest court confirmed on Monday that Frelimo, in power since 1975, had won the Oct. 9 presidential election, ending weeks of unrest.
Groups of protesters approached the prison on Wednesday, causing confusion and unrest inside, Rafael said, where inmates knocked down a wall, allowing them to escape.
Barricades were erected in several areas of the capital on Wednesday, restricting movement, as incidents of vandalism continued.
In addition to shops and public buildings being vandalized on Monday, a drugstore and other businesses as well as an ambulance were set on fire, according to an AFP correspondent.
Some protesters even set up tables in the streets to take up space while celebrating Christmas with family or neighbors, as an AFP journalist observed in several working-class districts of Maputo.
The election results were confirmed on Monday despite claims of irregularities by many observers.
FRELIMO leader Daniel Chapo won 65.17% of the vote, about 5 percentage points less than preliminary results announced by the country’s electoral commission.
Chapo’s main rival, exiled opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, has claimed the election was rigged, sparking fears of violence among rival party supporters.
According to reports from several NGOs, at least 150 people have died due to the unrest.
