There is a high police presence in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo following violent riots. Chaos broke out when rioters blockaded the route to South Africa and set fire to a petrol station in the Matola suburb, between Maputo and its border. They also set alight tyres and blocked major roads to the airport.
Protestors were up in arms over rising food and fuel prices.
Trying to control the unruly crowd, police then opened fire, killing up to seven people and wounding about 27.
About 400 South Africans in the city were stuck in their hotels rooms as violent scenes played out on the streets outside.
The South African government closed its embassy in Mozambique as a result, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said.
“There have been sporadic incidents of stoning and blockaded of roads in the vicinity of Maputo including the airport … the embassy has been temporarily closed as a result,” reported High Commissioner to Mozambique Dikgang Moopeloa in a statement.
He advised that the N4 between Maputo and Matola should be avoided by anyone traveling into the country.
Flights into Maputo by both South African Airways (SAA) and local airline LAN were also canceled on Wednesday. Travelers using other airlines were urged to check whether flights were still planned.
On Thursday, SAA was reported as saying that it was assessing the situation on the ground in Maputo before deciding whether flights will resume as normal.
Mozambican Interior Minister Jose Pacheco condemned the riots, saying the protest was illegal. The Constitution gives rights to all citizens to protest, the minister said, deploring the fact that no one made the request to do so to the authorities.
He appealed to the people to collaborate with the police to establish tranquility in Maputo.
In vindicating the police action, Pacheco said the officers were deployed at focal points to prevent chaos. If otherwise, the situation would have been worse, he added.
Source: BUA News
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