Mozambique’s security forces have reportedly killed at least 10 children and injured dozens more while attempting to quell ongoing protests against a contested presidential election, Human Rights Watch said on Monday, November 25.

The unrest has also led to the detention of hundreds of minors, with some held for days in violation of international law, the organization stated.

The disputed election, held on October 9, has plunged the southern African nation into turmoil. Opposition leaders and international observers, including a European Union mission, have raised allegations of widespread electoral fraud following the victory of the ruling party’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, announced on October 24.

The situation deteriorated further after the late-night assassination of two senior opposition figures on October 18, which their party described as a “political assassination.”

Thousands of Mozambicans took to the streets of Maputo and other major cities, responding to calls for protests circulated on social media by Venancio Mondlane, an independent presidential candidate and vocal critic of the government.

Mondlane, who lost to Chapo, has since fled the country, citing fears for his life after his lawyer was among those killed in the October 18 attack. The car carrying the opposition figures was ambushed and riddled with bullets, but no arrests have been made.

The protests, the most significant challenge to the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) in decades, have turned increasingly violent. The Frelimo party has ruled Mozambique since its independence from Portugal in 1975, but allegations of electoral manipulation have cast a shadow over its unbroken half-century grip on power.

Security Crackdown Sparks International Outcry

International rights organizations estimate that at least 30 people have been killed by security forces using live ammunition on demonstrators, while Mozambican human rights groups place the death toll at approximately 50.

The Mozambique Bar Association revealed earlier this month that it had successfully negotiated the release of more than 2,700 detainees, many of whom were teenagers swept up in the government’s crackdown.

The government has yet to disclose an official death toll or the number of people detained but defended the actions of security forces, claiming that some protests had turned violent. Schools and businesses across the country have been forced to close, and a heavy military presence now patrols major cities.

Daniel Chapo’s victory ensures Frelimo’s continued rule, with Chapo set to succeed President Filipe Nyusi, who has served the maximum two terms. Opposition groups, however, have refused to recognize the election results, citing irregularities that they claim undermined the credibility of the vote.

The EU’s observer mission, among others, criticized the election process, further fueling public outrage. Protests have grown in intensity, becoming a flashpoint for decades of grievances against Frelimo’s rule, including accusations of corruption and political suppression.

Mondlane, now in exile, continues to call for peaceful resistance through social media. “I will not be silenced,” he said in a recent statement. “Our country deserves a government that reflects the will of its people, not one that clings to power through fear and violence.“

Human Rights Watch and other international organizations have called for Mozambique’s authorities to exercise restraint and conduct impartial investigations into the killings and arrests. Critics argue that the government’s heavy-handed response risks further alienating the population and deepening the political crisis.

As Mozambique grapples with its most severe unrest in years, the nation’s future hangs in the balance, with citizens demanding accountability, justice, and meaningful democratic reform.