🇲🇿 Riots, Jail Break Kill 248 in Mozambique
At least 248 people have died in Mozambique’s escalating post-election turmoil while the deadly unrest prompted a natural gas producer to restrict shipping to neighboring South Africa and a Tesla Inc. supplier to shut operations.
The death toll jumped this week after a court endorsed the ruling party’s victory in the disputed October election. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 prisoners on Wednesday broke out of a maximum security jail near Maputo, the capital, during which 33 died, police said. By the evening, the authorities said they’d recaptured about 150.
Protests spread across the gas-rich nation after opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane rejected the outcome as fraudulent and called for peaceful protests, but riots broke out that led to mass looting and arson in Maputo and neighboring Matola city.
▫️Sasol, which extracts gas and pipes it to neighboring South Africa to make gasoline, reduced output “to maintain the safety of our people and assets,” it said in a statement Wednesday. The company informed other gas customers that it’s unable to maintain full supply.
▫️South32, which operates the region’s biggest aluminum smelter near the Maputo port, earlier this month said it reduced electricity to its production facilities “to preserve raw materials and maintain operational stability.”
▫️Syrah, which has been sending battery ingredients to Tesla for testing ahead of commercial sales starting next year, declared force majeure at its Balama operation.
At least 248 people have died in Mozambique’s escalating post-election turmoil while the deadly unrest prompted a natural gas producer to restrict shipping to neighboring South Africa and a Tesla Inc. supplier to shut operations.
The death toll jumped this week after a court endorsed the ruling party’s victory in the disputed October election. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 prisoners on Wednesday broke out of a maximum security jail near Maputo, the capital, during which 33 died, police said. By the evening, the authorities said they’d recaptured about 150.
Protests spread across the gas-rich nation after opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane rejected the outcome as fraudulent and called for peaceful protests, but riots broke out that led to mass looting and arson in Maputo and neighboring Matola city.
▫️Sasol, which extracts gas and pipes it to neighboring South Africa to make gasoline, reduced output “to maintain the safety of our people and assets,” it said in a statement Wednesday. The company informed other gas customers that it’s unable to maintain full supply.
▫️South32, which operates the region’s biggest aluminum smelter near the Maputo port, earlier this month said it reduced electricity to its production facilities “to preserve raw materials and maintain operational stability.”
▫️Syrah, which has been sending battery ingredients to Tesla for testing ahead of commercial sales starting next year, declared force majeure at its Balama operation.