Thousands of Mozambicans have fled across the border to Malawi as post-election violence escalates, leaving homes destroyed and lives uprooted. Families seek refuge in makeshift camps, recounting harrowing tales of survival and loss.
Esther (not her real name) looks despondent as she engages in a subdued conversation with other women in a queue that winds its way towards humanitarian workers seated at desks.
Conflict in Mozambique
The 25-year-old, with her three-year-old child strapped to her back, appeared visibly distressed. An adhesive bandage on her cheek served as a stark reminder of an ordeal that she said left her traumatised by what she had witnessed just a few days earlier.
She is one of the thousands of people who have travelled hundreds of kilometres to flee the violent conflict in Mozambique, which erupted following the recent disputed election.
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"I was at the borehole when people suddenly appeared and set my house ablaze," Esther told RFI outside a school building, where other people were either frantically queuing to register or gathered in small groups.
"I immediately dropped the bucket and fled into the bush, where I joined my neighbours."
Esther is one of the 2,500 families - approximately 13,000 people, including children - who are being housed in various camps in the Nsanje district of southern Malawi as of 26 December, according to the district council's figures. This follows the tension that escalated into violent protests and clashes after the 11 October elections.
Daniel Chapo, the candidate for the ruling party, the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), was declared the winner against the opposition's Venâncio Mondlane of the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique. Mondlane was backed by another opposition party. A recent decision by Mozambique's Constitutional Council to uphold the earlier ruling, following an appeal from Mondlane, has sparked fresh protests.
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Contested election
The disputed election, which has claimed hundreds of lives and led to widespread chaos, including prisoners being freed from custody, comes after weeks of unrest in Mozambique, a gateway nation to the sea and ports.
The opposition claims it won the polls. Landlocked Malawi relies on Mozambique for access to the sea to import and transport essentials, including fuel.
The Constitutional Council's decision to reaffirm the earlier ruling has exacerbated the violence, with reports of people burning and looting property, even in rural areas. According to testimonies from those in the camps, for Esther and thousands of others, the burning and looting of their homes meant fleeing without knowing the whereabouts of their loved ones.
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"I never returned home, and I have no idea where my husband is," said Esther, who is seeking further treatment at the camp. "I was carrying my baby on my back when I fell, and something pierced my cheek. It left a deep wound, and I'm in pain."
Among the young caught up in the conflict is José (not his real name). The 23-year-old fled with his wife after vigilantes attacked their neighbourhood and began burning houses. He expressed gratitude to well-wishers who helped him cross into Malawi via a deep river that separates the two countries. Pointing to his younger wife, who also has a child, José indicated their clothes.
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"Even these clothes were given to me by well-wishers. We don't have food and are surviving on water. We need clothes, household items, and somewhere to sleep like normal people. Mozambique is my home. If peace returns, we will go back, but what we saw terrified us. I've never seen anything like it. Our hope is for peace, but the fear remains."
Meanwhile, officials from the Malawian government, including the refugee agency, the Department of Disaster Management, and organisations like the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), are registering those seeking refuge and working to establish a formal refugee camp.
