South Africa has temporarily closed its main border crossing with Mozambique over safety concerns, its border authority said on Wednesday, as protests against last month's disputed election in Mozambique continued to escalate. At least 18 people have been killed in the protests, according to human rights groups, as opposition supporters demonstrate against what they say is a fraudulent election win by Frelimo, the party that has ruled Mozambique since 1975. South Africa has closed the Lebombo port of entry in its Mpumalanga province after receiving reports of vehicles being torched on the Mozambican side, the authority said in an emailed statement to Reuters. The Mozambican Centre for Democracy and Human Rights said that 24 people had been killed due to police violence. Human Rights Watch researcher Zenaida Machado told Reuters that she had verified 18 deaths so far but believed there had been more.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 06, 2024 14:53 UTC