Mozambique inaugurates President Daniel Chapo amid deadly unrest over disputed election

Daniel Chapo has become Mozambique’s fifth president

Published 5:15 PM ET, Wednesday January 15, 2025

Maputo (AFP) – Mozambique’s new president, Daniel Chapo, took his oath of office on Wednesday as the country’s main opposition called for continued protests against the election results.

Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who returned from self-imposed exile less than a week ago, promised to “paralyze” the country ahead of Chapo’s inauguration.

‘We’ll protest every single day’ — Mondlane

“This regime does not want peace,” said Mondlane in an address on Facebook Tuesday, adding that members of his team were met with bullets on the streets this week.

“We’ll protest every single day. If it means paralyzing the country for the entire term, we will paralyze it for the entire term,” Mondlane said.

Electoral monitoring group Plataforma DECIDE said over 300 people had been killed in unrest since the October 9 polls.

International observers have said the election was marred by irregularities, while the EU mission “noted irregularities during counting of votes and unjustified alteration of election results.”

Chapo met with protest and recognition in Africa

Civil society organizations, led by the Pan-African Lawyers Union, have also submitted a petition demanding that the African Union not recognize Chapo as president.

Despite this, the presidents of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, confirmed their attendance at the inauguration in Maputo.

The South African Presidency’s X account posted pictures of Ramaphosa’s arrival in Maputo and said the inauguration “provides an opportunity for all the people of Moçambique to work together towards peace, democracy, and development.”

Chapo on Monday, called for stability and told journalists, “We can continue to work together, united to develop our country.”