Civil-society organisations reported at least eight deaths across Mozambique as the country’s new president, Daniel Chapo, was sworn in on 15 January at a low-key ceremony in the capital, Maputo. Chapo, declared the winner of the 9 October presidential race by the country’s electoral authorities, took the oath in front of a relatively small crowd of supporters and foreign dignitaries at a heavily guarded ceremony.
As the ceremony was underway in the city’s iconic independence square, opposition protests over alleged vote-rigging raged in different parts of the country, including a few blocks from the venue.
The post-election violence adds to the long list of challenges that await Chapo, including a terrorist insurgence in the north and a sluggish economy.