Tragedy Strikes in Mozambique: Podemos Party Lawyers Killed Before Election Protests
Gunmen in Mozambique targeted and killed Podemos party’s lawyer Elvino Dias and party representative Paulo Guambe before planned protests against a disputed election result, the party reported. The assailants shot the two men in a late-night attack in Maputo, leaving their bodies in a car riddled with bullet holes. The killings heighten tensions in Mozambique, where allegations of vote-rigging have marred the recent election won by the ruling Frelimo party.
Podemos, rejecting the election results, called for a nationwide strike in protest. The violence has drawn condemnation from rights groups, including Human Rights Watch. As the country awaits the final election results on October 24, fears of further unrest loom large. Western observers have criticized the electoral process, alleging fraud and voter intimidation by Frelimo.
The tragic deaths of Dias and Guambe have been labeled as political assassinations, further exacerbating the ongoing struggle for democracy and justice in Mozambique.