Mozambique's Daniel Chapo sworn in as president amid unrest

Mozambique swore in Daniel Chapo as president Wednesday following months of post-election violence that an NGO says has killed more than 300 people.

Vowing "to devote all my energies to defending, promoting and consolidating national unity", Chapo, 48, extends his Frelimo party's 50-year rule of the gas-rich African nation.

Opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane claims that the October election was rigged.

Streets in the capital Maputo looked deserted, with shops closed either in protest or fear of violence as Chapo began his five-year term.

Protests have engulfed the southeastern African nation since October 21 when the country’s electoral body declared Chapo winner of the elections.

Presidential oath

Lucia Ribeiro, head of the country’s Constitutional Council, administered the oath of office to Chapo, a former governor of the province of Inhambane.

On December 23, the council validated the outcome of the presidential elections

The 48-year-old former broadcaster and lawyer has never held any government position before his presidential win.

Leading opposition parties Mozambique National Resistance Movement and Mozambique Democratic Movement both boycotted the inauguration ceremony.

Chapo was declared winner with 65% of total votes cast, followed by his main rival Venancio Mondlane who received just 20% of the vote, according to the council.

The new parliament of 250 lawmakers was inaugurated on Monday when at least six people were killed during protests, allegedly by police.

Opposition demonstrations

Mondlane had already called for a national strike in the days leading up to the inauguration and threatened to curtail the new government with daily demonstrations.

Mondlane, who called for the protests while in self-imposed exile in South Africa, returned to the country last week and vowed to install himself as president.

His travel documents have been seized, according to his lawyer.

The nationwide unrest has seen widespread looting, disruption of cross-border trade, and destruction of public structures.

The deadly protests, according to election monitoring group Plataforma Decide, have claimed 300 people in the former Portuguese colony and driven thousands of others to seek refuge in neighboring countries.

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