MAPUTO: Two people were shot dead in Mozambique's capital on Tuesday when police opened fire on a crowd marking a day of protest called by the country's main opposition leader. Photographs showed two separate bodies lying under blankets in pools of blood in the Matola area of Maputo. The clashes broke out as opposition leader Venancio Mondlane called for a day-long national shutdown.
Journalists said police arrived to disperse the gathering and opened fire, killing two people. Two local civil society groups also said police had opened fire. Mondlane came second in the October presidential election, where various international observer missions noted many irregularities. He claims he was cheated of victory and called months of demonstrations in which more than 350 people were killed by police.
Earlier this month, at least 14 people were injured when police dispersed an opposition march with live ammunition. Mozambique's Centre for Democracy and Development said that the police's Rapid Intervention Unit had fired live rounds at one of its teams covering protests in the city. — AFP
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