Thousands flee Mozambique for Malawi to escape deadly post-vote violence
Thousands of people have fled Mozambique for Malawi, authorities said on Saturday, with many fording over rivers to escape violent protests following a court ruling verifying October election results that opposition parties claim are fraudulent.
Thousands have fled Mozambique in the past week to neighbouring Malawi seeking refuge from the southern African nation's deadly post-election protests, authorities told AFP.
Some 13,000 people have crossed over to Malawi since Monday, according to government sources, the day Mozambique's top court confirmed the ruling party's win in October's vote.
That result has been denounced as fraudulent by the opposition, and its rubber-stamping triggered an especially violent week of protests marred by incidents of vandalism and looting.
Most of the arrivals crossed over into Malawi's south, officials said, many of them fording over rivers to escape the unrest.
Dominic Mwandira, commissioner for the southern border district of Nsanje, said that around 2,500 families had arrived so far, warning that the number could rise.
"About 11,000 people crossed the Shire River to enter Malawi, while an additional 2,000 crossed the Ruo River," said Mwandira.
Several government ministries were put on alert and the asylum seekers were being housed across a number of temporary sites, he added.
International observers have pointed to electoral irregularities in the disputed presidential poll.
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