Displaying items by tag: Frelimo

On 9 October, 17 million Mozambicans voted for a new president who many hope will bring peace to the oil- and gas-rich Cabo Delgado province, which has faced a jihadist insurgency since 2017. Over 1.3 million people have been displaced due to violence, with 600,000 returning to destroyed homes. The presidential candidates, including Frelimo’s Daniel Chapo, Lutero Simango of the Democratic Movement, and independent Venacio Mondlane, have promised to prioritise peace and rebuilding. Chapo has pledged to end terrorism and rebuild infrastructure, while Simango has focussed on addressing unemployment, poverty, and healthcare. Mondlane has promised to eradicate terrorism within a year. Frelimo is expected to win again, despite wide-ranging allegations of electoral fraud in last year’s local elections;it also has been tainted by corruption scandals, with politicians jailed for taking payoffs to favour government-controlled fishing companies. The country is also facing severe food shortages as a result of a long drought: the UN says that 1.3 million people are affected.