South Africa Concerned With Lebombo Border Crossing Amid Post-Election Protests In Mozambique

Since President-elect Daniel Chapo’s victory with the incumbent party FRELIMO in Mozambique on October 9th, 2024, civilians protesting electoral results have faced violent police crackdowns. On November 6th, Amnesty International reported that at least 20 civilians have been killed, and dozens more have been injured or arrested during several major protests. South Africa temporarily closed the border at Lebombo, citing fears of violence spilling over the international border. As of November 9th, 2024, the border has been partially reopened. 

According to Al Jazeera, opposition leaders, civil society, and international observers have expressed concern about the integrity of the October 9th elections, pushing supporters of the opposition party RENAMO and other anti-FRELIMO activists to mobilize in statewide protests, marches, and strikes over the last several weeks. Pro-FRELIMO police and soldiers have responded with extreme force, which Human Rights Watch contends included firing live rounds and rubber bullets and deploying tear gas on protestors. The state has sponsored other acts of oppression as well, such as cutting public access to the internet, making mass arrests, and targeting opposition leaders. Human Rights Watch reported  “armed police and soldiers [using] military-style vehicles to block peaceful protesters from reaching the heart of the city,” indicating the level of force the state has used against civilians.

South Africa’s decision to close the Lebombo border crossing was due to the proximity of conflict to its side of the border, where BBC reported South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) commissioner feared fires set during protests in nearby cities could pose a threat. South Africa’s BMA noted last week that the closure was temporary and that other points of crossing between the two countries remained open. On November 9th, SABC reported that the border crossing at Lebombo was partially re-opened for cargo and civilian transport after conversations between Mozambican and South African representatives, considering the economic consequences of a long-term border closure. 

FRELIMO’s recent victory marks nearly 50 years of consecutive rule for the party, which first came to power in 1975 during Mozambique’s independence struggle against Portugal. In the post-independence period, FRELIMO entered a conflict with the counter-revolutionary party RENAMO, which escalated into the Mozambican Civil War. The war lasted until FRELIMO conceded to a two-party system in the General Peace Accords of 1992. Since triumphing in its nationalist struggle for independence, FRELIMO has continued to dominate a one-party system, placing Mozambique’s 2024 election cycle in the context of the party’s autocratic tendency to defeat political opposition with force and secure executive rule through undemocratic means. 

While FRELIMO’s history of election dominance renders Chapo’s victory unsurprising, the state’s harsh response to protestors marks a worrying sign of human rights conditions in Mozambique. International watchdog organizations like Human Rights Watch and International Crisis Group have expressed concern about the escalation of conflict between the state and civilian protestors. They call for supranational organizations like the United Nations to hold Mozambican officials responsible for police-sponsored violence. In addition, neighboring nations like South Africa will have an important role in the immediate future of Mozambican human rights, as border closures are often detrimental to those fleeing political violence. With Chapo set to take office in January 2025, amplifying the voices of protestors and advocating for Mozambican’s right to free protest are crucial to balance the currently unchecked power of the incumbent party.

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