By 
Daniel Chapo of Mozambique’s long-governing Frelimo party was declared the winner of the country’s presidential election on Thursday amid widespread violence and allegations of fraud.
Frelimo, which has ruled Mozambique for nearly five decades, has denied any wrongdoing.
Mozambique’s electoral commission announced Chapo’s victory with nearly 71 percent of the vote from the October 9, 2024, election, according to The New York Times.
Chapo is set to succeed Filipe Nyusi, who served two five-year terms, the constitutional limit.
The election took place against the backdrop of a long-running insurgency by Islamist extremists in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique’s northern coastal region.
The conflict had exacerbated divisions between communities benefitting from the country’s natural resources, such as gas and precious stones and those facing poverty and unemployment.
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Tensions boiled over on Monday as police clashed with thousands of demonstrators in the capital, Maputo.
Tear gas and gunfire filled the streets as protesters accused Frelimo of election fraud and blamed the party for the deaths of two supporters of Chapo’s main rival.
Frelimo denied the allegations, with party spokesperson Ludmila Maguni stating, “Frelimo is confident that the results reflect the will of the people.”
This election and the subsequent protests represent one of the most significant challenges to Frelimo’s power since it led Mozambique to independence from Portugal in 1975 and later through a civil war.
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