Catholic Church in Southern Africa Urges Mozambican Authorities to “guarantee a climate of peace” amid Violence

The elections involved over 17 million registered voters choosing the President, members of the National Assembly, and provincial leaders.

Protests in the country erupted days leading to the announcement of the results of the Presidential election, with opposition candidates, civil society groups, and observers claiming the elections had been marred by fraud.

The protests intensified on October 24 when CNE declared that the ruling party, Frelimo, had won the Presidential election, extending the party’s 49-year hold on power.

In their statement dated November 16, IMBISA members note that the elections followed a contentious 2023 local election period, where irregularities were widely reported. Concerns about transparency and impartiality in electoral administration led to a volatile political climate.

They say that the post-election tensions escalated, with allegations of electoral misconduct fueling protests. 

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The unrest, the Bishops note, included the use of tear gas, reports of live bullets by police, deaths, injuries, and arrests. 

According to the IMBISA members, the situation as bordered “a state of emergency.”

In the statement that their president, Archbishop Liborius Ndumbukuti Nashenda of Namibia’s Windhoek Archdiocese, signed, IMBISA members have urged authorities in the country to respect the right to peaceful demonstrations while cautioning young people against involvement in acts of destabilization.

“We call for respect for the right to peaceful demonstration, but we also warn young people not to allow themselves to be instrumentalized and drawn into acts of vandalism and destabilization,” they say, referring to Catholic Bishops of Mozambique's earlier appeal of October 22, 2024.

The Bishops drawn from nine Southern African countries including Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa, and Zimbabwe have also national and international actors to address the issues undermining electoral integrity and called for reforms to strengthen Mozambique’s rule of law and electoral processes.

“Peace and good wishes in the Lord Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life,” they say, while pledging continued prayers and support for peace in Mozambique and the Southern African region.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.