Mondlane accuses Frelimo of using FDS to intimidate opposition parties

Maputo, 19 Aug (AIM) – Venancio Mondlane, former presidential candidate and leader of the National Alliance for a Free and Autonomous Mozambique (Anamola), accuses the ruling Frelimo party of using the country’s Defence and Security Forces (FDS) to intimidate opposition political parties.

Mondlane was speaking in a live broadcast on his official Facebook page, addressing the disturbances that took place in Quelimane city, central province of Zambézia, when police officers used tear gas to disperse members of Anamola, during a march marking the party’s first anniversary.

The tension escalated when police officers fired tear gas canisters into the crowd, causing widespread panic and dispersing the gathering. Numerous participants suffered from gas inhalation. The incident occurred just meters from where a rally was taking place, near a local health facility, raising safety concerns among attendees.

The Police justified the intervention by claiming that “party supporters had damaged a vehicle.” However, Mondlane publicly displayed the vehicle in question to dispute the official account, demanding that security forces prove their claims.

According to Mondlane, the country’s Police should be impartial but “it is forced to follow political orders because Frelimo lost public respect and popular support, relying increasingly on force and weaponry to maintain authority.”

(AIM)

Zt/Am/