Gunmen in Mozambique have killed two opposition officials, a lawyer for the Podemos party, Elvino Dias, and party representative Paulo Guambe, in a targeted attack ahead of planned protests against disputed election results.
The pair were chased down and fatally shot late on Friday night in the capital, Maputo, according to a statement released by the party on Saturday.
The brutal killings occurred amidst growing unrest in the country following the contested October 9 election, which has been marred by accusations of vote-rigging and suppression of dissent.
The opposition party Podemos, which backed independent presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, rejected the provisional results showing victory for the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) party.
Podemos has called for a nationwide strike on Monday to protest the election outcome.
Human Rights Watch also released a statement condemning the attack and raising concerns over the potential for violence during Monday’s protests.
The current election tally shows Frelimo leading in all 11 provinces, with its candidate, Daniel Chapo, expected to succeed President Filipe Nyusi, who has reached his term limit.
However, opposition parties, along with Western observers, have accused Frelimo of electoral fraud, citing reports of vote-buying, voter intimidation, and inflated voter rolls in the ruling party’s strongholds.
The final election results are expected on October 24, but tensions continue to rise as the nation braces for Monday’s protests, which could turn violent amid the mounting political crisis.
