Mozambique protests against presidential election results

Large protests against the results of the presidential election took place in Mozambique in southern Africa.

According to Al Jazeera broadcasts on the 8th local time, thousands of people protested in Maputo, Mozambique's capital, the day before, claiming that the presidential election won by the ruling party candidate was a rigged election.

Some threw stones at riot police and set fire to tires and trash cans to set up barricades.

Heavily armed military and police dispersed protesters with tear gas with armored vehicles, while shops, banks and schools in Maputu were closed for a day.

Mozambican authorities are also restricting internet access across the country to prevent protests and incitement, Human Rights Watch said.

Independent candidate Benanciu Mondla, who lost second in the last presidential election, has declared the 7th "Mozambique Freedom Day" and called for a protest in the capital, Maputo.

However, after leaving Mozambique last month after political unrest, Mondlan himself did not attend the demonstration, AFP reported.

Mozambique's Election Commission announced on the 24th of last month that Daniel Shafu of the ruling Frelimo party was elected with 70.67% of the vote in the presidential election.

According to Human Rights Watch, at least 18 people were killed during protests and crackdowns that followed the NEC's announcement.

Local human rights groups put the death toll at 24.

Mozambique, which has suffered a civil war since 1977 due to the conflict between pro-communist and left-wing Frelimo and the largest anti-communist and right-wing opposition Renamo since independence, has been unstable since the end of the civil war in 1992.