Chaos erupts in Mozambique as 6,000 prisoners escape
Six thousand prisoners escaped from a high-security prison near Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. According to a Thursday statement by the country's police chief, a rebellion broke out there on Christmas Day, as reported by the AP agency. The country is in chaos following the announcement of the presidential election results.
The Mozambique Ministry of Justice confirmed that at least six thousand prisoners escaped from the high-security prison near Maputo. The majority of them were convicted of murder.
Local media journalists claim the prisoners took advantage of the holiday season and the fewer guards. Reuters reports that the prison riot in Maputo resulted in the deaths of 33 people, with several others injured during the unrest. The internet is flooded with recordings showing prisoners, some still shackled, storming the gates of penitentiary facilities.
Convicted of terrorism at large
Police Chief Bernardino Rafael stated that the escape began around noon on Wednesday at the prison located about 9 miles southwest of the capital, instigated by "agitation" from a nearby "subversive group" of protesters.
Prisoners in the facility seized weapons from the guards and began releasing other inmates. They also released 29 convicted terrorists, declared Rafael. The protests led to the collapse of a wall, facilitating the escape.
Rafael called for the voluntary surrender of the escaped prisoners and appealed for information on the fugitives.
Chaos in Mozambique
The massive escape in Maputo is linked to intensifying protests after the Constitutional Court confirmed that Daniel Chapoz from the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front won the presidential elections. The opposition claims the vote was rigged. When the results were announced at the end of October, mass protests erupted, resulting in at least 130 deaths.
Social unrest has affected the operations of foreign companies, including the Australian mining company South32. Due to the unrest, neighboring South Africa temporarily closed its main border crossing with Mozambique.
Source: PAP, Reuters, X, WP Wiadomości
