Mozambique: Mangungumeta Police Fire at Peaceful Demonstrators

Riot police (file photo).

In Mangungumeta, members of the public were demonstrating peacefully when police tried to disperse them by firing live ammunition. At least three demonstrators were hit.

In reaction, the public vandalized and set fire to the police post . Some of the demonstrators seized firearms. It is not known how many guns remained in the hands of the public, but our sources indicate four. The house of the head of the police post in Mangungumeta village was also burnt down, and so was the Civil Identification Directorate which was located alongside the police post. The police agents were obliged to flee. Some of them were injured, two of them seriously. One of the seriously injured policemen died later in the Inhassoro health centre.

The Inhassoro police district commander requested reinforcements from the Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR - the riot police) stationed in Maxixe, about 300 kilometres away. But when the UIR contingent reached Murure locality, in the Mapinhane administrative post, in Vilankulo district, they found the road blocked by demonstrators. A helicopter was requested to carry other police agents to Inhassoro.

After vandalising the police post at Mangungumeta, demonstrators attacked the Frelimo headquarters. They removed propaganda material and burnt it, and then set the building itself on fire.

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