US, Britain and others condemn escalating violence in Mozambique

FILE PHOTO: A protester holds a machete and a saw near burning barricades during a "national shutdown" against the election outcome, at Luis Cabral township in Maputo, Mozambique, November 7, 2024. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The governments of the United States, Britain, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland on Wednesday jointly condemned the escalating violence against civilians in Mozambique, a southern African nation currently embroiled in weeks of post-election protests.

"We call on the Government of Mozambique to uphold the role of security forces to protect the people of Mozambique," the countries said in a joint statement.