The mourners at a cemetery in crisis-hit Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, have been strikingly younger – kids losing tears as they bade goodbye to a 16-year-old buddy, who was once shot lifeless year banging pots and pans in an opposition-organised protest towards the result of closing future’s presidential election.

“Antonio was shot in the mouth, and the bullet went through the back of his head,” his uncle, Manuel Samuel, instructed the BBC.

“We saw CCTV footage from nearby shops of police shooting at protesters,” he added.

Antonio Juaqim’s killing is a disastrous reminder of the unstable political condition within the southern African environment since Frelimo – the previous liberation motion in energy since liberty 49 years in the past – was once declared the winner of the ballot.

The electoral fee mentioned Frelimo’s presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo, received with a whopping 71% of the vote, in comparison to the 20% of his closest rival, Venâncio Mondlane.

An evangelical pastor who contested the presidency as an isolated upcoming breaking clear of the primary opposition Renamo celebration, Mondlane unwanted the declaration, alleging the ballot was once rigged.

This was once denied by means of the electoral fee, however Mondlane – who fled the rustic, fearing arrest – has rallied his supporters by the use of social media to protest towards the outcome.

Each evening at 21:00 native moment (19:00 GMT), nation had been banging pots and pans of their houses, as they heed Mondlane’s name to ship a noisy message that they disclaim an extension of Frelimo’s 49-year rule.

Mr Samuel mentioned the protest was once first held at the evening of 15 November when plenty numbers of nation took to the streets to bang pots, pans and bottles or to fritter away whistles.

“It was as though a new Mozambique was being born,” he added.

However the evening ended tragically, with Antonio being amongst the ones killed by means of police, Mr Samuel mentioned.

Since later maximum nation had been sporting out the protest inside of their houses, with the pitch of banged pots and pans echoing throughout Maputo at 21:00 each and every evening.

At Antonio’s funeral on the São Francisco Xavier Cemetery 4 days upcoming his killing, certainly one of his pals delivered his mom’s eulogy: “You were so full of life and hope. Now you are a victim of a bullet.”

Crying, Antonio’s pals planted plant life on his grave prior to bursting vibrant balloons over it, a reminder that he was once only a kid.

“At the morgue I counted six bodies of young children,” Mr Manuel instructed the BBC.

“They are killing us and our future,” he added.

Marketing campaign staff Human Rights Supervise mentioned that about 40 nation – together with a minimum of 10 kids – had been killed by means of police all through the post-election protests.

Mozambique’s police commander Bernadino Raphael expressed reassurance with the households of the sufferers, however deflected accountability for the deaths, blaming Mondlane’s supporters.

“They are using children as shields in front of them while they remain behind,” he alleged in a BBC interview.

The commander added that during many cases police had negative selection however to safe themselves from protesters who had unleashed violence, together with killing six officials and looting and burning feature and automobiles.

“We recorded 103 injured people, 69 of whom were police officers,” he mentioned.

However Albino Forquilha, the chief of the Optimist Birthday party for the Construction of Mozambique, which subsidized Mondlane’s presidential bid, accused police of the usage of over the top power to repress dissent.

“It feels as though they are being used to protect the ruling party,” he instructed the BBC.

South Africa-based Institute for Safety Research analyst Borges Nhamirre mentioned this was once the primary moment Mozambique had witnessed such a lot of casualties, and harm to feature, all through protests.

He mentioned it was once cloudless that Frelimo had misplaced reputation, particularly amongst younger nation who have been “looking for jobs, looking for vocational training, looking for a plot to build their house, looking for some money”.

“They don’t care about who brought independence. The independence they want is their financial independence,” Mr Nhamirre mentioned.

Nearest the outcome was once introduced on 24 October, Chapo was once adamant that he and Frelimo had received in a separate and honest competition, pronouncing: “We are an organised party that prepares its victories.”

Since later he has stored a significantly low profile, looking forward to the courts to rule on Mondlane’s bid to annul the outcome.

In an obvious aim to reserve up the force forward of the ruling, lots of Mondlane’s supporters additionally heeded his name to mourn the lifeless for 3 days (till 22 November) by means of preventing their automobiles and hooting at midday.

Like Antonio, 20-year-old Alito Momad was once allegedly killed by means of police all through the protests.

The BBC got here throughout a few of his pals in a neighbourhood out of doors Maputo, keeping an evening vigil for him on 17 november.

With a Mozambican flag laid out at the ground after to burning candles, Alito’s pals confirmed us a photograph of him – with what gave the impression to be a gunshot wound behind his head.

It was once every other reminder of ways the election had snip snip the lives of younger nation, with their pals and relations hoping they’ll get justice as Mozambique is going thru certainly one of its maximum breezy sessions because the creation of multi-party independence about 30 years in the past.