Armando Guebuza Labels Unrest as Terrorism

- Analyst says linking protests to terrorism is a tactic to legitimise repression

- US-based organisation condemns the "criminalisation of the pro-democracy movement in Mozambique"

By José Calanga and Ricardo Dias

Maputo (MOZTIMES) – Former Mozambican President Armando Guebuza has labelled the post-election protests taking place across the country as "terrorism" in a Facebook post published on Thursday.

"It makes little sense to burn down markets and complain about the cost of living," wrote Guebuza, adding that "what is happening in Gaza province is terrorism."

In recent days, Gaza province has become the epicentre of protests against the high cost of living. In many cases, demonstrations have led to violent incidents, including roadblocks, destruction of public and private infrastructure, and intimidation of shopkeepers to force them to lower the prices of basic goods.

The police have responded to these protests by firing live ammunition and tear gas, further escalating the cycle of violence. A video that recently went viral on social media shows a group of protesters storming a property belonging to former Frelimo Secretary-General Roque Silva in the tourist resort of Bilene.

Guebuza's post was accompanied by a photograph of him posing with the leadership of the Frelimo parliamentary group, after a visit to his office. "Complex circumstances should not frighten us. When we go into battle, we do so with confidence, certain that we will win," he added.

The Facebook account used for the post is not verified, but it has been active for years and has frequently been used by the former president for public statements.

Chapo's Rhetoric in Line with Guebuza

Guebuza's remarks align with the discourse recently reiterated by President Daniel Chapo, particularly during his working visit to Cabo Delgado province this week.

During a rally in Pemba, Chapo compared the protests to the war against the newly independent Mozambique waged by the white minority regimes of what was then Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and apartheid South Africa, acting through the Renamo rebels. That war of destabilisation later escalated into a full-scale civil war that lasted 16 years.

Chapo also likened the unrest to terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado, allegedly carried out by Islamic State-affiliated insurgents, and vowed to "spill blood" to protect the nation from the protests.

The president's rhetoric drew widespread criticism for its militaristic tone, prompting him to backtrack 24 hours later, claiming that his words had been taken out of context and manipulated.

Narrative to Justify Repression

Egídio Chaimite, a political science professor at Eduardo Mondlane University, argues that the link between mass protests and terrorism is an attempt to legitimise repression and justify abuses by the security forces against demonstrators.

"It seems to me that a narrative is being constructed to justify the kind of actions that will be taken against the protests. There will be tougher measures in the same direction," Chaimite said in an interview. "I wouldn't be surprised if we return to the approach adopted by the previous president (Filipe Nyusi), who had already taken a more repressive stance, with significant implications for our political system, which has long been considered authoritarian," he added.

Chaimite stressed the need to tackle opportunists who infiltrate protests but warned that excessive repression could fuel further violence.

Several international organisations that assess global democracy, including The Economist's Global Democracy Index, classify Mozambique as an authoritarian regime.

https://twitter.com/HRF/status/1894861821200183427

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF), a New York-based organisation that fights authoritarianism worldwide, condemned Daniel Chapo's statements in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The HRF warned of the criminalisation of the pro-democracy movement in Mozambique.

"HRF condemns Chapo's rhetoric, which threatens to criminalize and suppress the nationwide pro-democracy movement. While the Mozambican regime has the right to prosecute violent rioters for destruction of public property, the same regime has failed to hold accountable members of security services involved in killing, arbitrarily detaining, or intimidating protesters and members of the opposition", the organisation stated.

The protests have already resulted in over 350 deaths, most of them shot by the police, revealed Wilker Dias, leader of the Plataforma Decide, during his participation in the MOZCAST podcast on Thursday. (JC & RD)

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