(Bloomberg) -- Mozambican opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane brandished the threat of “revolution” and called for a two-day protest after alleged fraud in this month’s elections and the murder of his legal adviser. The southeast African nation’s Eurobonds fell.
Mondlane’s comments, following the weekend killing of his lawyer by unknown gunmen, significantly raises the stakes in the aftermath of the Oct. 9 ballot in which the ruling party – which has been in charge for almost half a century — is expected to retain power.
“Mozambique is at this moment covered by an atmosphere that’s favorable for a revolution,” the preacher and former lawmaker said by livestream from an undisclosed location. “An atmosphere that’s favorable for reform of the state. An atmosphere that’s favorable for the removal of the regime.”
Mozambique’s dollar bonds due 2031 fell to the lowest in nearly a month. The $900 million in notes were down 0.63% by 4:23 pm in Maputo.
Mondlane, who Mozambique’s attorney general last week warned against incitement, has called for the nationwide shutdown to start Thursday, coinciding with the expected announcement of the final vote count.
Tensions were already high in the gas-rich nation after the shooting of Mondlane’s legal adviser along with a senior official from the party that backed him. Police broke up demonstrations in Maputo, the capital, with teargas, which they also fired at Mondlane as he spoke to reporters, according to local media.
Invoking the 25 times he said his lawyer, Elvino Dias, was shot, Mondlane said he’d create “a climate of terror” for 25 days.
In the presidential election, Mondlane is trailing ruling-party candidate Daniel Chapo by a wide margin, according to provisional tallies that the opposition disputes as fraudulent. Chapo’s party, the Mozambique Liberation Front, has been in power since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
The electoral authorities have said aggrieved parties should present evidence to the courts of any electoral wrongdoing.
--With assistance from Ana Monteiro and Borges Nhamire.
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