Over 1,500 inmates escape in Mozambique amid jailbreak

No fewer than 1,500 prisoners escaped from a Maputo prison on Wednesday, taking advantage of the third day of unrest, which was sparked by the controversial confirmation of the long-ruling Frelimo party as the winner of recent elections.

The National Police Chief, Bernardino Rafael, at a press conference, said a total of 1,534 prisoners escaped the high-security prison located about 15 kilometres from the capital.

Rafael added that among those attempting to escape, 33 were killed and 15 wounded in clashes with prison staff, he added.

According to him, search operation, backed by the army, led to the arrest of about 150 fugitives.

“Around 30 of the prisoners were linked to armed groups that have been behind unrest and attacks in the northern province of Cabo Delgado for the past seven years.

“We are particularly concerned about this situation,” Rafael said.

The Portuguese-speaking African country’s highest court had confirmed on Monday that Frelimo, in power since 1975, won the October 9 presidential election that had already triggered weeks of unrest.

Frelimo won 65.17 percent of the vote, about five points less than the initial results declared by the country’s electoral commission.