Mozambique has reportedly imposed social media restrictions as tensions escalate following the disputed presidential election held on October 9.

Social media access in Mozambique was restricted for the second time in a week on Thursday, according to a global internet watchdog, as the opposition called for nationwide strikes over a disputed presidential election.

Tensions heightened in the Southern African nation after the ruling Frelimo party, which has held power for 49 years, won an October 9 vote that opposition parties and electoral observers said was flawed.

"We can confirm social media restrictions have been imposed in Mozambique," London-based internet watchdog NetBlocks reported, adding that the restrictions affected Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Last Friday, a temporary internet blackout was introduced, a day after election results were announced by the electoral commission and as protests were violently suppressed.

NetBlocks stated at the time that there was a "near-total disruption to mobile internet connectivity in Mozambique."

On October 24, Daniel Chapo, 47, from Frelimo, was declared the winner of the presidential election with nearly 71% of the votes. Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, 50, from the small Podemos party, came in second with 20% of the vote.

After the announcement, police cracked down on opposition supporters who took to the streets.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that at least 11 people were killed by security forces and over 50 others were injured on October 24 and 25. The police did not respond to HRW's report but previously stated that 20 people were injured in post-electoral violence and that two people had died, though they did not provide further details.

Following the unrest, a police investigation was opened into Mondlane, and his whereabouts remain unknown. Mondlane, a former radio host turned politician, has widely used social media to communicate with his supporters, encouraging them to protest. He again called for a nationwide strike from October 31 to November 7.

It was unclear if his call to "paralyse" the country from the northern Cabo Delgado region to Maputo, located more than 2,400 kilometers (about 1,500 miles) away, would be widely observed, but on Thursday, the capital appeared as a ghost city.

Police sent text messages on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, including to an AFP reporter, instructing residents not to participate in acts of "sabotage."

The public prosecutor also issued a statement affirming that while it is a "fundamental right" to protest, "anyone who... causes material or personal damage shall be punished."

Albino Forquilha, President of the Podemos party, said on Thursday that he would "do everything to ensure that there is no violence" during the planned week-long strike, but he emphasized the need to "fight for justice."

Election observers, including those from the European Union, noted serious flaws in the election process before, during, and after the vote.

Mondlane and his Podemos party, which surpassed the main opposition party Renamo in the election, filed an appeal on Sunday to the Constitutional Court for a recount of the ballots.

The judicial body has since asked the electoral commission to produce results sheets and minutes from polling stations in six provinces and Maputo, giving them eight days to submit the documents.