Mozambique’s Bloody Crackdown on Protesters: A Democracy in Crisis

Mozambique’s post-election turmoil took another violent turn on March 5, 2025, when police opened fire on a peaceful protest led by opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane in the capital, Maputo. According to Mondlane’s team and local civil society group Plataforma Decide, at least 16 people were injured, and two children from a nearby school reportedly died from the gunfire. Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic and terrifying, with police using live ammunition and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

The protest, which was part of a series of demonstrations contesting the disputed October 2024 election results, coincided with President Daniel Chapo’s planned signing of a political agreement with other parties. Mondlane, who came second in the election, was deliberately excluded from those negotiations. In response, he led a public procession, calling the deal “an agreement of people without the people.” His exclusion from the dialogue, despite representing a significant segment of the electorate, casts a dark shadow over the credibility of Chapo’s reconciliation efforts.

Mondlane’s office described the attack as unprovoked and targeted. “A contingent of the UIR [rapid intervention police] rammed into Venâncio Mondlane’s convoy and began a barrage of gunfire,” the statement read. Videos circulating on social media show the moment the gunshots began, with people running in panic as gunfire echoed through the streets. Witnesses likened it to an ambush, with protester Silvestre Alexandre telling AFP, “It was just a march. My friend was shot in the leg. I saw a child who later died in hospital.”

Interior Minister Paulo Chachine later claimed that the police action was a preventive measure aimed at safeguarding the political agreement ceremony. He denied any attempt to assassinate Mondlane. But his words rang hollow in the face of graphic video evidence and eyewitness accounts. The whereabouts of Mondlane remain unknown, and his team has expressed deep concern for his safety.

International reactions have started trickling in. Portugal, Mozambique’s former colonial ruler, condemned what it called “the unacceptable attack on Venâncio Mondlane’s convoy” and urged respect for human rights. Yet, as global leaders issue statements, on the ground, Mozambican citizens continue to suffer under the weight of political repression.

Since the October elections, nearly 400 people have died in protest-related violence, according to civil society organizations. The pattern is now clear: opposition voices are being silenced not with debate or ballots, but with bullets. The use of state security forces to crush peaceful demonstrations is not just a failure of governance — it is an outright attack on democracy.

Mondlane’s words after the crackdown ring with painful clarity: “If they don’t do what the people want, they won’t govern Mozambique.” The people are speaking. It’s time for those in power to listen — not shoot.