Death toll from Mozambique election protests rises to at least 30

MAPUTO:

Mozambique's opposition on Friday promised fresh protests, as rights groups said at least 30 people had been killed in three weeks of demonstrations over contested election results.

The southern African nation has been rocked by violence since the ruling Frelimo party was announced winner of the October 9 elections with more than 70 percent of votes. The party has been in power for almost 50 years.

Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who won 20 percent of the vote according to the election authority, claims the election was rigged. In social media posts, he has called his supporters onto the streets in protest.

In the biggest demonstration yet, thousands of opposition supporters marched through Maputo on Thursday.

Security forces fired tear gas and deployed dogs to disperse the crowds, as some protesters threw rocks and set up barricades using burning tyres and bins. AFP