Portugal Colonial - Mozambique post-election violence kills 125 in three days: NGO

Despite international observers raising concerns about irregularities in the October 9 elections, the country's highest court on Monday confirmed that Daniel Chapo of the Frelimo party, which has been in power since 1975, won the presidential race with 65.17 percent of the vote.

That announcement triggered opposition protests that often turned into clashes with police, with buildings burned and supermarkets ransacked.

On Tuesday evening, the government reported a death toll of 21 in the first 24 hours of rioting in several major cities of the southern African nation.

The national police chief then announced Wednesday that a mass jailbreak occurred near the capital Maputo, leaving at least 33 inmates dead during clashes with prison staff as they tried to escape.

The NGO Plataforma Decide on Thursday put the toll at 125 deaths since Monday, also raising the total deaths since violence erupted in October to 252.

The hardest-hit areas include around the capital, northern provinces including Nampula and the country's second-largest city Beira.

More than 4,000 people have been arrested since October in connection with demonstrations that often turn violent, including 137 arrests in the last three days, the NGO said.

Chapo's main challenger, exiled opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, has claimed the election was rigged.

Mondlane on Thursday accused security forces of encouraging the recent unrest and looting to allow authorities to declare a state of emergency and crush the protests.

Some barricades around the capital had been dismantled Thursday but many remained in place limiting traffic, according to an AFP journalist in Maputo. Public transport was also suspended.

C.Amaral--PC