Elvino Dias, the lawyer representing Mozambique’s leading opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane, was tragically killed in a brazen attack in Maputo on Saturday, 19th October 2024. Dias was gunned down alongside Paulo Guambe, a Podemos party candidate who also supported Mondlane in the October 9 elections.
Eyewitnesses reported that two gunmen opened fire on their vehicle while it was stationary in the heart of the capital. The killings have sparked outrage across the political spectrum, with various parties condemning the act of violence.
Civil society group Mais Integridade condemned the murders, calling them an “intimidation tactic” aimed at disrupting Mozambique’s democratic process. Police have launched an investigation, while tensions remain high as the country awaits the official election results. Mondlane has called for demonstrations, further raising the stakes in an already volatile political climate.
