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Mozambique has resorted to an internet shutdown, denying people their right to participatory democracy amid widespread post-election protests that have seen security forces kill at least 20 people.
There has been growing unrest since 24 October, when the country’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) declared Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party the winner of the 9 October general election with 71% of the vote, amid vote rigging claims.
Independent presidential candidate and Chapo’s main challenger, Venâncio Mondlane was declared the runner-up with 20% while Ossufo Momade, of former rebel group Renamo, came third with 6%.
Ongoing protests reached a crescendo today (7 November) as the opposition called on people to march in their millions in the capital Maputo to show their dissatisfaction with the handling of the election. Thousands have marched, and the police have fired tear gas protesters.
South Africa has since announced that it is closing its Lebombo border “due to security incidents reported on the Mozambican side”, according to South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) News. Rwanda also closed its embassy in Maputo ahead of the protest.
Both local and international organisations have alleged that the election process was heavily flawed. In a statement, the European Union (EU) said its observation mission “noted irregularities during counting and unjustified alteration of election results at polling stations and district level”.
It also said that EU observers were prevented from observing tabulation processes in some districts and provinces, as well as at a national level.
The bloc condemned the killings of opposition candidate Mondlane’s lawyer Elvino Dias, who had been preparing a legal challenge to the results, and Paulo Guambe, an official with the Podemos party who supported the independent presidential candidate.
The EU also called for respect of fundamental freedoms and political rights in Mozambique where nearly 50 years of Frelimo’s uninterrupted rule has engendered hostilities towards the status quo. This is mostly due to widespread poverty, which has been blamed on government corruption and mismanagement of the economy, coupled with the politicisation of state institutions.
Within Mozambique, Archbishop Inacio Saure of Nampula – the president of the country’s bishops’ conference – said the electoral process was marred by ballot-box stuffing and forged polling station result sheets, amongst other election malpractices.
When crowds first poured onto the streets on 25 October to protest the election outcome, the internet observatory Netblocks reported that there was a disruption to mobile internet traffic in Mozambique, a development it said was likely intentional to limit coverage of events on the ground.
Following those initial protests, opposition leader Mondlane piled pressure on the regime by announcing one week of demonstrations from 31 October to 7 November. He said that millions would march on the capital Maputo on the last day and made reference to a revolution.
A charismatic leader who rode on promises to deliver an honest, transparent and reformist government that would remove Mozambique from the list of poorest countries in the world, Mondlane appealed to young people in particular: two thirds of the country’s 32 million population are under the age of 25 and these increasingly highly-educated GenZ-ers are threatening the establishment.
Following his call for a major protest on 7 November, Netblocks issued an update that said Mozambique had implemented restrictions to the social media and messaging platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
According to Amnesty International, Mozambique is facing its worst crackdown on protests in years. The human rights organisation has also said that police have killed more than 20 people, and injured or arrested hundreds more, with security forces routinely trying to violently and unlawfully break up peaceful assemblies with tear gas, bullets and arbitrary arrests. Authorities have said that protestors have killed at least one police officer.
Speaking to Index on Censorship, Wilker Dias, the executive director of the Civil Society Platform for Electoral Monitoring (DECIDE) said the police had responded by killing those expressing their opposition to the allegedly-doctored election results.
Dias said among the irregularities they noted was the fact that when some people went to voting booths, they were told they had already voted when in actual fact they had not done so. He said the killing of protesters across the country was methodical.
“The police are shooting people on the streets. We saw that. The shooting is not sporadic, it’s coordinated.The police are stealing the right to life, the right to free expression,” he said.
Dias said his organisation is lobbying for the annulment of the election results in parts of Mozambique where there is evidence of tampering with the vote.
Mozambique-based journalist Elina Eciate, who works for local publication Jornal Rigor, told Index that she had witnessed the violence first hand and had interacted with some victims of police brutality in the district of Nacala-Porto in the Nampula province.
The journalist said some victims who had been shot were not receiving adequate medical attention.
“I managed to interview one person who was shot. He was discharged from hospital even though he needed medical assistance. The victim is 24 years old,” she said.
Eciate said after taking two bullets, police left him for dead. He was taken by locals to Nacala-Porto district hospital, but was discharged even though he still wanted medical help, she added.
“The doctors claimed they wanted to give space to other patients. They said he could continue with the treatment while at home. Even though he still wanted medical assistance, he was left to his own devices,” Eciate said.
She said communication was difficult as the whole country is affected by internet restrictions.
The journalist said freedom of expression is simply enshrined in law but in practice people cannot freely express themselves in the African country.
“The internet still remains a problem. We are using alternatives, in this case [virtual private networks] VPN,” she added.
Mozambique’s government has heaped blame on Mondlane for civil disturbances in the country. The country’s interior minister Pascoal Ronda told local media that the opposition leader was hiding in South Africa but police have opened a criminal case against him.
Ronda said Mondlane was “manipulating public opinion” using social media. On the other hand Mozambique’s defence minister, Cristóvão Chume said
protesters were preparing to march to Ponta Vermelha, the official residence of the country’s president, and added that if the escalation of violence continues, the armed forces would be called upon to “protect” the state.
Mondlane was not reachable for comment and there was no response to questions that Index sent to him via WhatsApp.
However, he has been updating his followers on Facebook. “My people, I’m here to announce that on the 7th I’m coming back to my country for the big march on Maputo City,” he wrote in one post.
In another post, Mondlane said in the face of constraints to freedom of speech, censorship and “the growing alienation of our media organs”, his Facebook page had become an essential tool for direct communication with the Mozambican public.
In yet another post titled “Call to the Revolution of Mozambican People”, Mondlane declared:
“Brothers and sisters, our homeland calls for freedom and dignity and November 7 will be our collective cry for change! Countrymen from all provinces will be in Maputo to demand together what is rightfully ours.”
Ever since Galileo Galilei faced the Roman inquisition in the 17th century for proving that the Earth went round the sun, scientists have risked being ruthlessly silenced. People are threatened by new discoveries, and especially ones that go against their political ideologies or religious beliefs. The Autumn 2024 issue of Index examines how scientists to this day still face censorship, as in many places around the world, adherence to ideology stands in the way of scientific progress. We demonstrate how such nations crack down on scientific advancement, and lend a voice to those who face punishment for their scientific achievements. Reports from as far as China and India, to the UK, USA, and many in between make up this issue as we put scientific freedom under the microscope.
When ideology enters the equation: Sally Gimson
Just who is silencing scientists?
The Index: Mark Stimpson
A tour around the world of free expression, including a focus on unrest in Venezuela
A vote for a level playing field: Clemence Manyukwe
In Mozambique’s upcoming election, the main challenger is banned
Whistling the tune of ‘terrorism’: Nedim Türfent
Speaking Kurdish, singing in Kurdish, even dancing to Kurdish tunes: do it in Turkey and be prepared for oppression
Running low on everything: Amy Booth
The economy is in trouble in Bolivia, and so is press freedom
A dictatorship in the making: Robert Kituyi
Kenya’s journalists and protesters are standing up for democracy, and facing brutal violence
Leave nobody in silence: Jana Paliashchuk
Activists will not let Belarus’s political prisoners be forgotten
A city’s limits: Francis Clarke
The Hillsborough disaster still haunts Liverpool, with local sensitivities leading to a recent event cancellation
History on the cutting room floor: Thiện Việt
The Sympathizer is the latest victim of Vietnam’s heavy-handed censors
Fog of war masks descent into authoritarianism: Ben Lynfield
As independent media is eroded, is it too late for democracy in Israel?
Movement for the missing: Anmol Irfan, Zofeen T Ebrahim
Amid rising persecution in Pakistan, Baloch women speak up about forced disappearances
Mental manipulation: Alexandra Domenech
The treatment of dissidents in Russia now includes punitive psychiatry
The Fight for India’s Media Freedom: Angana Chakrabarti, Amir Abbas, Ravish Kumar
Abuse of power, violence and a stifling political environment – daily challenges for journalists in India
A black, green and red flag to repression: Mehran Firdous
The pro-Palestine march in Kashmir that became a target for authorities
Choked by ideology: Murong Xuecun, Kasim Abdurehim Kashgar
In China, science is served with a side of propaganda
Scriptures over science: Salil Tripathi
When it comes to scientific advancement in India, Hindu mythology is taking priority
A catalyst for corruption: Pouria Nazemi
The deadly world of scientific censorship in Iran
Tainted scientists: Katie Dancey-Downs
Questioning animal testing is a top taboo
Death and minor details: Danson Kahyana
For pathologists in Uganda the message is clear: don’t name the poison
The dangers of boycotting Russian science: JP O’Malley
Being anti-war doesn’t stop Russian scientists getting removed from the equation
Putting politics above scientific truth: Dana Willbanks
Science is under threat in the USA, and here’s the evidence
The science of purges: Kaya Genç
In Turkey, “terrorist” labels are hindering scientists
The fight for science: Mark Stimpson
Pseudoscience-buster Simon Singh reflects on whether the truth will out in today’s libellous landscape
On the brink: Jo-Ann Mort
This November, will US citizens vote for freedoms?
Bad sport: Daisy Ruddock
When it comes to state-sponsored doping, Russia gets the gold medal
Anything is possible: Martin Bright
The legacy of the fall of the Iron Curtain, 35 years later
Judging judges: Jemimah Steinfeld
Media mogul Jimmy Lai remains behind bars in Hong Kong, and a British judge bears part of the responsibility
The good, the bad and the beautiful: Boris Akunin, Sally Gimson
The celebrated author on how to tell a story, and an exclusive new translation
Song for Stardust: Jessica Ní Mhainín, Christy Moore
Celebrating the folk song that told the truth about an Irish tragedy, and was banned
Put down that book!: Katie Dancey-Downs, Allison Brackeen Brown, Aixa Avila-Mendoza
Two US teachers take their Banned Books Week celebrations into the world of poetry
Keeping Litvinenko’s voice alive: Marina Litvinenko
The activist and widow of poisoned Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko has the last word
The Summer 2024 issue of Index looks at how cinema is used as a tool to help shape the global political narrative by investigating who controls what we see on the screen and why they want us to see it. We highlight examples from around the world of states censoring films that show them in a bad light and pushing narratives that help them to scrub up their reputation, as well as lending a voice to those who use cinema as a form of dissent. This issue provides a global perspective, with stories ranging from India to Nigeria to the US. Altogether, it provides us with an insight into the starring role that cinema plays in the world politics, both as a tool for oppressive regimes looking to stifle free expression and the brave dissidents fighting back.
Lights, camera, (red)-action, by Sally Gimson: Index is going to the movies and exploring who determines what we see on screen
The Index, by Mark Stimpson: A glimpse at the world of free expression, including an election in Mozambique, an Iranian feminist podcaster and the 1960s TV show The Prisoner
Banned: school librarians shushed over LGBT+ books, by Katie Dancey-Downs: An unlikely new battleground emerges in the fight for free speech
We’re not banned, but…, by Simon James Green: Authors are being caught up in the anti-LGBT+ backlash
The red pill problem, by Anmol Irfan: A group of muslim influencers are creating a misogynistic subculture online
Postcards from Putin’s prison, by Alexandra Domenech: The Russian teenager running an anti-war campaign from behind bars
The science of persecution, by Zofeen T Ebrahim: Even in death, a Pakistani scientist continues to be vilified for his faith
Cinema against the state, by Zahra Hankir: Artists in Lebanon are finding creative ways to resist oppression
First they came for the Greens, by Alessio Perrone, Darren Loucaides and Sam Edwards: Climate change isn’t the only threat facing environmentalists in Germany
Undercover freedom fund, by Gabija Steponenaite: Belarusian dissidents have a new weapon: cryptocurrency
A phantom act, by Danson Kahyana: Uganda’s anti-pornography law is restricting women’s freedom - and their mini skirts
Don’t say ‘gay’, by Ugonna-Ora Owoh: Queer Ghanaians are coming under fire from new anti-LGBT+ laws
Money talks in Hollywood, by Karen Krizanovich: Out with the old and in with the new? Not on Hollywood’s watch
Strings attached, by JP O’Malley: Saudi Arabia’s booming film industry is the latest weapon in their soft power armoury
Filmmakers pull it out of the bag, by Shohini Chaudhuri: Iranian films are finding increasingly innovative ways to get around Islamic taboos
Edited out of existence, by Tilewa Kazeem: There’s no room for queer stories in Nollywood
Making movies to rule the world, by Jemimah Steinfeld: Author Erich Schwartzel describes how China’s imperfections are left on the cutting room floor
When the original is better than the remake, by Salil Tripathi: Can Bollywood escape from the Hindu nationalist narrative?
Selected screenings, by Maria Sorensen: The Russian filmmaker who is wanted by the Kremlin
A chronicle of censorship, by Martin Bright: A documentary on the Babyn Yar massacre faces an unlikely obstacle
Erdogan’s crucible by Kaya Genc: Election results bring renewed hope for Turkey’s imprisoned filmmakers
Race, royalty and religion - Malaysian cinema’s red lines, by Deborah Augustin: A behind the scenes look at a banned film in Malaysia
Join the exiled press club, by Can Dundar: A personalised insight into the challenges faced by journalists in exile
Freedoms lost in translation, by Banoo Zan: Supporting immigrant writers - one open mic poetry night at a time
Me Too’s two sides, by John Scott Lewinski: A lot has changed since the start of the #MeToo movement
We must keep holding the line, by Jemimah Steinfeld: When free speech is co-opted by extremists, tyrants are the only winners
It’s not normal, by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Toomaj Salehi’s life is at the mercy of the Iranian state, but they can’t kill his lyrics
No offence intended, by Kaya Genc: Warning: this short story may contain extremely inoffensive content
The unstilled voice of Gazan theatre, by Laura Silvia Battaglia: For some Palestinian actors, their characters’ lives have become a horrifying reality
Silent order, by Fujeena Abdul Kader, Upendar Gundala: The power of the church is being used to censor tales of India’s convents
Freedom of expression is the canary in the coalmine, by Mark Stimpson and Ruth Anderson: Our former CEO reflects on her four years spent at Index
A well-known Mozambican television journalist, Ercilio Zacarias, has been forced to move his family, after receiving anonymous death threats. It is suspected the death threats may arise from TIM news items that angered the powerful Brazilian cult, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (IURD). Read more here