Thousands of families are crossing the border into Malawi as a result of ongoing political violence in Mozambique, and authorities warn that the situation is “dire.”
About 2,500 families have arrived thus far, according to Dominic Mwandira, commissioner for Nsanje, a district on Malawi’s southern border.
He told the AFP news agency that “about 11,000 people crossed the Shire River to enter Malawi, while a further 2,000 crossed the Ruo River.”
He said that asylum seekers had sought refuge in a number of makeshift locations and that various government ministries had been placed on alert.
In a letter obtained by the Reuters news agency, Mwandira stated, “The situation remains dire as these individuals urgently require humanitarian assistance.”
Mozambique’s post-election violence expanded throughout the southern African nation on Friday, paralyzing major towns.
In the midst of rampant looting and vandalism, several businesses closed and transportation was suspended.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Mozambique reported that during post-election protests, at least 150 businesses had been vandalized.
Following a riot that claimed dozens of lives, more than 1,500 prisoners broke out of jail in the capital, Maputo, on Wednesday.
At least 134 people have been killed in unrest since Monday, according to the Plataforma Decide electoral monitoring group.
The opposition says the election was manipulated.
With about 65% of the vote, Daniel Chapo, Frelimo’s candidate, was declared the victor of the October 9 presidential election by Mozambique’s Constitutional Council on Monday. Venancio Mondlane, the opposition candidate, reportedly garnered 24% of the vote.
Then, fans of Mondlane took to the streets and engaged in combat with law enforcement.
International observers and opposition groups claim that the election was neither fair nor free.
