Mozambique: Over 1,000 prisoners escape jail as election protests worsen

No fewer than 1,500 prisoners have escaped from a prison in Mozambique, taking advantage of ongoing political unrest triggered by disputed election results, police say.

According to police chief Bernardino Rafael, thirty-three people were killed and 15 injured in clashes with guards.

About 150 more fugitives have since been recaptured, he added.

Protests broke out on Monday in response to Mozambique’s highest court confirming that the ruling Frelimo party, in power since 1975, had won October’s presidential elections.

Mr. Rafael stated that groups of anti-government protesters had approached the prison in the capital, Maputo, on Wednesday. Prisoners used the unrest to knock down a wall and escape, he said.

Mozambique has been rocked by civil unrest since disputed elections in October. Official results showed the ruling Frelimo’s candidate for president, Daniel Chapo, winning.

READ ALSO:

• Bandit leader Bello Turji threatens reprisals over arrest of close associate
• Real reason some women are unmarried in their 30s – Kanayo
• Media chat: Lawyer blasts Tinubu for encouraging Wike’s “rascality in public service”

Fresh protests erupted on Monday, when the constitutional court decided that Chapo had won the election but reduced his margin of victory.

In October, initial results showed Daniel Chapo with 71% of the vote versus Venâncio Mondlane’s 20%.

The court has now determined that he won 65% to Mondlane’s 24%. A BBC reporter discovered Maputo was like a ghost town on Christmas Eve, with practically all shops closed and residents remaining at home to avoid being caught up in the city’s worst unrest since Frelimo first took office in 1975.

Frelimo offices, police stations, banks, and factories have been robbed, vandalised, and set on fire around the country.

Mondlane, who has since fled Mozambique, had been urging his supporters to protest what he claimed was a corrupt vote. In a weekend social media statement, he predicted a “new popular uprising” if the outcome was not reversed.

Approximately 150 people have been killed in three months of protests following the elections.

Mozambique: Over 1,000 prisoners escape jail as election protests worsen

Ghanaian president approves visa-free entry for all Africans

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has granted approval for visa-free entry to Ghana for all African nationals, fulfilling a key promise made earlier this year.

The policy is expected to take effect before the end of the president’s term on January 6th, 2025.

Citi Newsroom (CNR) reports that this places Ghana among the few African nations offering visa-free access to all African passport holders, joining Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia, and Benin.

The move is a step toward improving the movement of people, goods, and services across the continent, and it is expected to foster greater economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Policy goal: improving continental integration 

According to Citi New Room (CNR), in his keynote speech at the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) 2024, Akufo-Addo stressed the importance of the new policy in promoting economic growth. He emphasized that the visa-free initiative would significantly contribute to the goals of the AfCFTA by ensuring easier movement across African borders.

This policy aims to reduce barriers for African citizens traveling to Ghana and increase opportunities for trade and collaboration within the continent.

READ ALSO:

• Waiting for palliative: Ndume shares on X video of long queues outside Tinubu’s Lagos residence
• Military denies bombing civilians in Sokoto
• 22 injured as bus driver loses control during Christmas procession in Gombe

Commitment to the policy 

While delivering his address under the theme “Developing Prosperity in Africa: Produce, Add Value, and Trade,” Akufo-Addo acknowledged the challenges many African citizens face when traveling within the continent. “Many of you had to acquire a visa to attend this event,” he said, highlighting the barriers that still exist.

He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to visa-free travel for all African nationals, noting that steps had already been taken to implement the policy this year.

Expected impact on the AfCFTA 

The introduction of visa-free travel is seen as an important step toward achieving the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to create a single continental market for goods and services.

By removing visa requirements, Ghana is fostering deeper economic integration and making it easier for people to move freely across the continent. This aligns with the broader objectives of AfCFTA to stimulate intra-African trade and improve economic cooperation among African nations.

Implementation timeline 

The new visa-free entry policy will be in effect before the end of President Akufo-Addo’s term on January 6th, 2025. The president’s approval of the initiative marks the beginning of its implementation, with the Ghanaian government taking the necessary steps to roll out the policy.

The move is expected to enhance Ghana’s role in the region and strengthen its ties with neighboring African countries.

Ghanaian president approves visa-free entry for all Africans

Cyclone kills 94, over 700 injured in Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe

At least 94 persons have been killed by cyclone Chido in Mozambique since it made landfall in the country last week, the National Institute of Risk and Disaster Management has said.

It also revealed that 768 people were injured, and more than 622,000 people affected by the natural disaster, which has thrown the country into national mourning.

The same cyclone wreaked havoc in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte before moving on to Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.

READ ALSO:

• Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam
• Lagos-Calabar coastal road: Train track work begins 2025, says minister
• Three days to Christmas, food prices, transport fares hit the roof

The natural disaster hit Mozambique on December 15 with winds of 260 km/h (160mph) and 250 mm of rainfall in the first 24 hours.

The storm struck northern provinces that are regularly battered by cyclones, although it first reached Cabo Delgado before travelling further inland to Niassa and Nampula.

According to the INGD, the cyclone impacted the education and health sector, with more than 109,793 students affected with school infrastructure severely damaged.

Cyclone kills 94, over 700 injured in Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe