At least 6000 inmates escaped from a high-security prison in Mozambique’s capital on Christmas Day after a rebellion, the country’s police chief said, as widespread post-election riots and violence roil the country.
Police chief Bernardino Rafael said 33 prisoners died and 15 others were injured during a confrontation with the security forces.
The prisoners fled during violent protests that have resulted in police cars, stations and infrastructure being destroyed after the country’s Constitutional Council confirmed the ruling Frelimo party as the winner of the October 9 elections.
The escape from the Maputo Central Prison, located 14 kilometres south-west of the capital, started about midday on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) after “agitation” by a “group of subversive protesters” nearby, Rafael said.
Some of the prisoners at the facility snatched weapons from the guards and started freeing other detainees.
“A curious fact is that in that prison we had 29 convicted terrorists, who they released. We are worried, as a country, as Mozambicans, as members of the defence and security forces,” Rafael said.
“They (protesters) were making noise, demanding that they be able to remove the prisoners who are there serving their sentences”, said Rafael, adding that the protests led to the collapse of a wall, allowing the prisoners to flee.
He called on the escaped prisoners to surrender to authorities and for the population to be informed about the fugitives.
Videos circulating on social media show the moment inmates left the prison, while other recordings reveal captures made by military personnel and prison guards. Many prisoners tried to hide in homes, but some were unsuccessful and ended up being detained again.
In one video, a prisoner still with handcuffs on his right wrist says he was held in the disciplinary section of the prison and was released by other inmates.
