Post-election chaos in Mozambique sparks mass exodus to Malawi
Thousands of Mozambicans have fled across the border to Malawi as post-election violence escalates, leaving homes destroyed and lives uprooted. Families seek refuge in makeshift camps, recounting harrowing tales of survival and loss.
Esther (not her real name) looks despondent as she engages in a subdued conversation with other women in a queue that winds its way towards humanitarian workers seated at desks.
Conflict in Mozambique
The 25-year-old, with her three-year-old child strapped to her back, appeared visibly distressed. An adhesive bandage on her cheek served as a stark reminder of an ordeal that she said left her traumatised by what she had witnessed just a few days earlier.
She is one of the thousands of people who have travelled hundreds of kilometres to flee the violent conflict in Mozambique, which erupted following the recent disputed election.
Mozambique post-election violence kills 125 in three days, NGO says
“I was at the borehole when people suddenly appeared and set my house ablaze,” Esther told RFI outside a school building, where other people were either frantically queuing to register or gathered in small groups.
“I immediately dropped the bucket and fled into the bush, where I joined my neighbours.”
Contested election
Read more on RFI English
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