Mozambique withdraws opposition leader’s diplomatic passport
Mozambique opposition leader Venancio Mondlane speaks to the media as he arrives at the Maputo International Airport in Maputo, Mozambique after fleeing in the days following a hotly contested election in October that sparked demonstrations.
What you need to know:
- Mondlane returned from a self-imposed exile on Thursday and authorities at the capital Maputo promptly said his passport was no longer valid because he had resigned as a member of parliament.
Mozambican immigration authorities have cancelled the diplomatic passport issued to opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane who has rejected election results that showed he came second.
Mondlane returned from a self-imposed exile on Thursday and authorities at the capital Maputo promptly said his passport was no longer valid because he had resigned as a member of parliament.
In a statement, the National Migration Service (Senami) explained that officials at the border control desk at Maputo international airport, where he arrived on Thursday in the morning local time, noticed he was travelling on a ‘rejected’ passport due to the holder's resignation of his status as a member of parliament.
After two and a half months abroad, Mr Mondlane, a Mozambican opposition leading figure, who fled the country following October 9 disputed presidential polls, returned to Maputo Thursday and proclaimed himself as the country’s head of state.
Previously, he said had suffered death threats both in Mozambique and South Africa where he took exile after two close associates were killed on 19 October.
The post-election chaos has left almost 300 people dead and more than 600 shot.
On Thursday, at least three people died and other six were shot among the supporters accompanying Mr Mondlane on his return to Maputo, a local lobby Decide Platform said adding that two police officers were killed in the north of the country in the chaos that followed. At the airport, police had to disperse rowdy crowds that gathered to welcome him.
Senami said that that according to the local laws, the diplomatic passport had only been granted to Mr Mondlane “in his capacity as a member of the Assembly of the Republic.” in He had been elected in 2019 by the opposition Mozambican National Resistance Movement (Renamo) but chose to contest for presidency as an independent candidate backed by opposition Podemos party.
“Because he resigned from office on 3 June 2024, he lost all rights inherent to the position, including the use of a diplomatic passport as a member of parliament,” reads the Senami statement.
“In view of this scenario, Senami withheld the passport,” the statement says adding that, “if he so wishes”, Mondlane “can apply” for an ordinary passport.
In a row with Renamo and its leader Ossufo Momade, after being prevented from running for the leadership of the largest opposition party at last May's congress, Venâncio Mondlane filed a request to resign as a MP on June 3 last year. It was granted.
On December 23, the country’s Constitutional Counsel (CC) confirmed Daniel Chapo, the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) candidate, as the winner of the October 9 polls with 65.17 percent of the votes.
Mr Mondlane, who is supported by Podemos party, rejected the results proclaimed by the CC and got 24.19 percent of the votes.
Renamo leader Ossufo Momade achieved 6.62 percent and MDM leader Lutero Simango managed 4.02 percent of vote.
On Thursday Mr Mondlane maintained that it does not accept the October 9 election results adding that he is the President of the Republic “elected by the people and not by the Constitutional Council.”
Mozambique deputy president of the Interministerial Commission for Major Events announced that ‘the invitations to international organisations’ for the inauguration of the President-elect Daniel Chapo scheduled for 15 January were sent out Friday.
“We hope to have confirmations on Monday ... We have sent the invitations to the entire Southern African Development Community (SADC), to the African Union and to some European heads of state,” Ms Eldevina Materula told reporters Friday in Maputo.
She also said that the event should be attended by 2,500 people.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that his government is ready and willing to support Mozambique if the post-election unrest continues, without giving further details on how this intervention would take place.
During a Progressive Business Forum of the African National Congress, President Ramaphosa added he was undecided about his participation in Daniel Chapo's inauguration ceremony scheduled for January 15 in Maputo.
In Portugal, parliament approved Friday in general a resolution by the Liberal Initiative calling on the government not to recognise the results of Mozambique's general elections and another by Chega party calling for a “transparent recount” of the votes.
Before this, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has not confirmed his attendance in Maputo for Chapo inauguration.
According to the Portuguese Radio Television RTP, the Portuguese Head of State says the issue is “premature” to decide on.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro spoke to Daniel Chapo on the phone Thursday and told him that he was very concerned about the “environment of violence” in the country, RTP says.
