The reasons given for the escape of more than 1,500 inmates from a maximum prison in Mozambique were contradictory, with the government giving opposing reasons for the prison riots, says a political analyst.
A total of 1,534 inmates escaped from the maximum prison in Maputo on Christmas Day, with Mozambique’s police general commander Bernardino Rafael confirming that 33 people died and 15 were injured during the riots.
About 150 of the escaped inmates were recaptured, Rafael said.
The country is facing ongoing unrest, demonstrations and violent protests since the announcement of the election results in October, which were deemed by civil organisations, opposition parties and election observers to be rigged.
After the Constitutional Council announced on Monday that the Frelimo party indeed won the elections in a free and fair voting process, violence erupted across the country resulting in more deaths.
However, the reasons for the riots were unclear from the government, said political analyst Wilker Dias.
He said Rafael and the ministry of justice gave two different reasons.
“We have the justice minister saying it was due to a problem that started inside the prison and the prisoners escaped after that. But the commander of the police said it was not an internal problem but a problem that started outside the prison with some of the protesters who eventually got inside. I think this is very weird,” Dias told TimesLIVE.
He said the recaptured escapees were seen on video being killed inside the prison.