At least 89 people were killed this week as a result of a wave of violence that swept through Mozambique after the ruling party's victory in the contested election in October was officially recognised. 

The death toll has surpassed 200 since the unrest began on October 21, according to data from the local monitoring group Decide Platform and local authorities. Rioters looted stores and set police stations on fire, while over 1,500 prisoners escaped from a high-security prison near Maputo, the capital. Police Chief Bernardino Rafael reported in a televised briefing on Wednesday that around 33 people were killed during the prison break.

The political crisis in Mozambique deepened after the Constitutional Council, on December 23, backed the ruling party's victory, allowing it to extend its 49-year rule. The council stated that any irregularities in the election process were not significant enough to affect the result. This decision angered supporters of the opposition, leading to fresh protests. The growing lawlessness could delay a $20 billion energy export project led by TotalEnergies SE and discourage investments in one of the world’s poorest countries. The main opposition leader has been excluded from negotiations with Daniel Chapo, the president-elect of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front, also known as Frelimo, until after he succeeds President Filipe Nyusi in mid-January.  

“There is no indication that Frelimo and the government have a plan to solve the problem,” Narciso Matos, rector at Maputo’s Polytechnic University, said in an email response. “The government has been reactive — using more lethal force than previously — no visible strategy to sort out the mess.” The state-owned Agência de Informação de Moçambique said on Wednesday that Tuesday's looting and vandalism in Maputo and nearby Matola was "almost incomprehensible." According to the news agency, "the situation is slipping into chaos."  Opposition presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who is leading the demonstrations against allegedly stolen elections, issued a warning on Tuesday that they would not stop. The fiery pastor and former politician called on supporters to abstain from violence and stated in a live webcast that he is open to international mediation. Pascoal Ronda, the interior minister, stated on state television late Tuesday that at least ten of Frelimo's offices had been set on fire. 

“The skies are covered in black smoke from burning tires and public and private infrastructure,” Maputo-based Centre for Democracy and Human Rights stated in a statement Wednesday. “The floor is covered in blood. The state is absent.” The European Union cited "irregularities during voting and unwarranted manipulation of election results," while the United States referred to the election process as "flawed." Mondlane left the country on October 21 and is currently in an undisclosed location. He received 24% of the vote, according to the Constitutional Council's announcement on Monday, while the ruling party candidate, Chapo, got 64%. The top electoral court's decision cannot be appealed.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, the President of Zimbabwe and chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which includes Mozambique, urged all parties to respect the Constitutional Council’s decision. The South African government has called for urgent dialogue between the groups.