Ex-police chief Rafael said earlier this week that only 96 people had died, including 17 officers.
He says those killed had attacked police officers who had defended themselves, or they had been hit by stray bullets.
According to the Mozambique Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (CDD), agents from the elite National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) dressed in civilian clothing “infiltrated protest crowds to identify and record the addresses of young participants” and “later carried out house raids, often resulting in arbitrary arrests and killings”.
Their actions “[turned] residential areas into war zones”, says CDD’s report, which Sernic has not commented on.
Mozambique’s police force has also denied claims that it was responsible for shooting dead two political aides in broad daylight. Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe worked for Venâncio Mondlane, who claims he is the true victor of October’s election.
Mondlane has been leading the post-election protests despite stints in self-imposed exile for his safety, and he alleges that he has been targeted for assassination on at least two occasions.
Analysts including Mirna Chitsungo and Luís Nhanchote had told the BBC that after taking office, President Chapo should sack Mr Rafael.
He was sacked after seven years as Mozambique’s police chief.
President Chapo has replaced him with Joaquim Sive, who was previously the police chief for the provinces of Sofala and Nampula.
In 2019, Sive was suspended from his duties after at least 10 people died after a Frelimo rally at the 25 de Junho Stadium in Nampula. BBC
