Mozambique's opposition protested the inauguration of new president Daniel Chapo amid disputed elections and deadly unrest. Chapo, who won with 65.17% of the vote, called for unity and dialogue, while opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane contested the results. A violent crackdown following the election has led to at least 300 deaths, with some Western nations questioning the election's credibility.

Hundreds of supporters of Mozambique's opposition gathered in protest on Wednesday as the country inaugurated its new president, Daniel Chapo, amidst disputed elections and deadly unrest.

Chapo took his oath as the fifth president of Mozambique in front of about 2,500 attendees, who braved intense heat at a ceremony held outside the city hall in the capital, Maputo. Meanwhile, opposition supporters demonstrated peacefully just a few meters away, as security forces, armed with guns and batons, blocked them from approaching the venue.

To prevent potential disturbances, security forces sealed off several roads and maintained a heavy presence in various parts of Maputo.

In his address, Chapo, a 48-year-old law graduate, acknowledged the urgent need to address the ongoing instability in the country. He emphasized, "Social harmony cannot wait, nor can the building of consensus for the matters that worry the Mozambican people, so dialogue has already begun, and we will not rest until we have a united and cohesive country."

Chapo's victory in the presidential election was confirmed by the country's Constitutional Council in December, with the council declaring that he had secured 65.17% of the vote. The council dismissed a challenge by opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, stating that Mondlane had received 24% of the vote.

However, a wave of protests and a violent crackdown by security forces following the election has resulted in the deaths of at least 300 people, including many children, according to reports from local and international human rights organizations.

Mondlane, a 50-year-old pastor, has spearheaded the call for protests, utilizing platforms like Facebook to demand the "restoration of electoral truth." Some western nations, including the United States, have raised concerns about the credibility of the elections.