Daniel Chapo, a member of Mozambique’s long-ruling Frelimo party, was officially sworn in as the country’s new president on Wednesday during an inauguration ceremony in the capital, Maputo. Chapo takes over the presidency from Filipe Nyusi, who has served the maximum two terms.
The ceremony comes on the heels of the October 2024 presidential election, which has sparked widespread controversy. Opposition parties have labeled the vote as rigged, and violent protests erupted across the country following the announcement of the results.

Human rights organizations have reported that more than 100 people were killed by security forces during the protests, though some local groups have put the death toll at over 200. The government has defended the use of force, claiming that the protests were violent and required a firm response. However, rights groups contend that security forces resorted to shooting live bullets at peaceful demonstrators.
International election observers raised concerns over irregularities in the election process, citing issues such as the alteration of vote counts. Despite these allegations, Mozambique’s Constitutional Council upheld Frelimo’s victory last month, solidifying Chapo’s ascension to the presidency.

Frelimo, which was originally a guerrilla movement fighting for independence from Portugal, has governed Mozambique since its independence in 1975. The party has faced consistent accusations of electoral manipulation, particularly since Mozambique held its first democratic elections in 1994, following a brutal 15-year civil war with the Renamo rebel group, which is now an opposition party.
The street protests that followed the election results were some of the most intense opposition demonstrations the country has seen since the end of the civil war in the 1990s. This unrest has posed one of the greatest challenges to Frelimo’s longstanding dominance in Mozambique’s political landscape.
As Chapo begins his presidency, he faces the challenge of uniting a nation deeply divided by political tensions, allegations of election fraud, and the ongoing aftermath of violent protests.