.jpg "Mozambique Swears in President")
Maputo, Mozambique – Daniel Chapo was sworn in as president of Mozambique on Wednesday amidst weeks of unrest and accusations of election fraud. Fierce opposition protests, headed by the main opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who vowed to keep demonstrating and to make the new government unworkable.
The 50-year-old politician has had a particularly strong following among Mozambique's youth, and he repeatedly charged that the winner, Chapo, and his ruling Frelimo party, which has governed Mozambique since independence from Portugal in 1975, rigged the October 9 elections.
"This regime does not want peace," Mondlane said in an inflammatory Facebook address on Tuesday, saying the government responded to dissent with violence. He said his communications team was shot at on the streets earlier this week.
Mondlane has promised to hold daily protests to "paralyze the country," adding: "If this means paralyzing the country for the whole term we will paralyze it for the whole term.
A Divided Nation
Chapo, 48, answered the growing unrest with calls for peace and unity. "We can continue to work and, together, united… develop our country," Chapo said in a news conference on Monday at the national assembly.
Yet, the legitimacy of the election is still contested. International observers, including those from the European Union, slammed the election process, reporting "irregularities" and condemning the "unjustified alteration of election results."
Johann Smith, a political and security risk analyst based in Maputo, stressed the diplomatic implications. "Foreign heads of state skipping the inauguration speaks volumes," Smith said to AFP. Even neighboring South Africa's president decided against coming, a move that emphasizes regional skepticism towards the election result.
Representing Portugal, the former colonial master of Mozambique, at the inauguration was its Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, marking international responses to the presidency of Chapo in tatters.
Fear Grips Maputo
There is still palpable tension in the capital, Maputo, where during the swearing-in ceremony of parliamentarians on Monday, streets were quiet, and most shops were shuttered in protest or fear of violence. Military police patrolled the city as main roads were barricaded to prevent disruptions.
How much unrest persists will depend most on how Chapo addresses this crisis, as analyst Borges Nhamirre said, adding that either his ability for dialogue or providing transparency may be critical in blocking further instability inside this gas-rich African nation.
What's Next for Mozambique?
Every move of Mozambique is being followed with high interest by the international community across deep political fissures. With Chapo's government and Mondlane's opposition both firm in their position, it is between aspiration for stability and continued unrest specter that the future of the country remains undecided.