Thousands have fled Mozambique in the past week to neighbouring Malawi seeking refuge from the southern African nation’s deadly post-election protests, authorities told AFP.
Some 13,000 people have crossed over to Malawi since Monday, according to government sources, the day Mozambique’s top court confirmed the ruling party’s win in October’s vote.
That result has been denounced as fraudulent by the opposition, and its rubber-stamping triggered an especially violent week of protests marred by incidents of vandalism and looting.
Most of the arrivals crossed over into Malawi’s south, officials said, many of them fording over rivers to escape the unrest.
Dominic Mwandira, commissioner for the southern border district of Nsanje, said that around 2,500 families had arrived so far, warning that the number could rise.
“About 11,000 people crossed the Shire River to enter Malawi, while an additional 2,000 crossed the Ruo River,” said Mwandira.
Several government ministries were put on alert and the asylum seekers were being housed across a number of temporary sites, he added.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official from the United Nations refugee agency warned the situation had become an emergency.
“Given the complexity of the situation, we have not yet verified the exact number of arrivals. Registration efforts began today, and we will have a clearer picture once this process is complete,” the official said.
“We will then be able to assess how to direct them towards more permanent accommodation,” the UNHCR source added.
Meanwhile the tiny Kingdom of Eswatini to Mozambique’s south saw an influx of more than 350 Mozambicans this week, foreign minister Pholile Shakantu said.
That took the total number of Mozambican arrivals since the protests against the election began in October to 500, she added.
“Our hands are open as a country… We want to reassure and reaffirm our commitment as a country to assist our neighbours from Mozambique,” Shakantu said.
At least 261 people have been killed in the unrest that followed in the wake of the October 9 vote, according to local NGO Plataforma Decide.
Around 134 of those were killed since the top court on Monday confirmed victory for the Frelimo party, which has been in power since independence from Portugal five decades ago.
International observers have pointed to electoral irregularities in the disputed presidential poll.
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