Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambican police opened fire yesterday afternoon at the Estrela Vermelha market in Maputo city centre in an attempt to mitigate the fury of informal vendors who had been the target of an operation that morning.
According to sources on the scene, the situation was caused by a police operation early in the morning, during which mobile phones and other equipment on sale in the informal market were allegedly taken by officers searching for a mobile phone reported stolen some days earlier.
That market is known for the informal sale of all types of products, including used clothes, shoes and car parts of dubious origin.
After the morning operation, vendors at the market blocked traffic and burned tyres in the street, demanding the return of the articles taken by the police in the earlier raid.
Dozens of heavily armed police officers, including plainclothes officers, returned to the scene in the early afternoon to stop the protests, with shots fired and tear gas used, according to reports.
Lusa contacted the Police of the Republic of Mozambique to obtain an explanation of the incident, but they deferred comment to a later date.
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