MAPUTO- Protesters set fire to Maputo’s Courts of Justice and clashed with police firing live ammunition after Constitutional Council of Mozambique confirmed the ruling Frelimo party’s disputed election victory on Monday. The decision has triggered the most significant civil unrest since the country’s 1975 independence.

Daniel Chapo, Frelimo’s candidate, secured 65 percent of the vote in the October 9 poll, according to the Council’s verdict. Opposition candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who claims his own count shows him winning, received 24 percent.

“There is total madness, people are burning everything that represents the state. This is going to be one of the ugliest nights in our history,” said Adriano Nuvunga, director of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights in Maputo.

The election dispute has claimed at least 130 lives in weeks of violence, according to local watchdog Decide Platform. Police have used live ammunition to disperse protesters across multiple cities.

The European Union’s election mission reported “irregularities during counting and unjustified alteration of election results at polling stations,” though stopped short of declaring a winner.

The unrest has severely disrupted regional trade. South Africa has deployed soldiers to secure its borders, while Maputo’s port faces significant shipping delays. The crisis threatens to further delay TotalEnergies’ $20 billion natural gas project in northern Mozambique.

Mondlane, who has been in hiding since the assassination of two allies in October, continues to rally supporters through social media. He plans to hold a parallel inauguration next month, challenging Chapo’s scheduled January installation.

The crisis reflects growing regional discontent with liberation-era parties. Recent elections in Botswana and South Africa have seen similar parties lose power or forced into coalitions amid concerns over inequality and unemployment.

Outgoing President Filipe Nyusi has rejected declaring a state of emergency, stating that while “not everyone could be a winner,” he would not use emergency powers to extend his rule.

The economic impact continues to mount. South32 Ltd has reduced operations at Mozal, the region’s largest aluminum smelter, while multinational companies are requesting military escorts for their businesses.