12 February 2008
Maputo — The Mozambican police on Tuesday admitted for the first time that police officers used live ammunition, as well as rubber bullets, during the Maputo riots of 5 February.
Throughout last week police spokesmen claimed that only rubber bullets and tear gas were used to disperse rioters protesting against increases in the fares charged by the privately-owned minibuses that provide much of the city's transport. They admitted that four demonstrators had been killed - but pointed out that rubber bullets can be lethal if fired at short range.
The spokesperson for the General Command of the police, Pedro Cossa, told reporters on Tuesday that here had indeed been "some cases of the use of live ammunition".
He described this as "a mistake", which resulted from some policemen being taken by surprise by the disturbances. He said they did not have sufficient time to go to the relevant police stations and pick up rubber bullets. But they had "the duty to guarantee public order and tranquility", which they did with the guns and bullets in their possession.
In contact with AIM, Filipe Coimbra, the chief nurse at the emergency services in Maputo Central Hospital, said that the final balance sheet on the disturbances was that 108 people had been treated for injuries in the hospital.
Of these, 68 had been shot. But he was unable to break this figure down into those hit by live ammunition, and those injured by rubber bullets. But since he regarded shooting injuries as cases where the bullet penetrates the flesh, these are likely to have been caused by live ammunition.
Rubber bullets, however, generally cause severe bruising, known as hematomas. Such bruising can be the result of internal bleeding that may lead to death.
The hospital emergency services also treated ten people who had been poisoned by inhaling tear gas.
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