Food Riot Deaths in Mozambique
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MAPUTO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Police opened fire on demonstrators protesting against rising prices in Mozambique's capital on Wednesday, killing at least six people including two children, police and hospital sources said.
The violence was the worst in the poor southern African country, home to 23 million people, since 2008.
The protests appeared to have been touched off when the government increased prices on bread by 30 percent on Wednesday as wheat prices have soared around the world.
Residents of one of the world's poorest countries say they have been hit hard by rising costs for basic necessities including bread, with rising costs for fuel and other essentials adding to their troubles.
"The government underestimated the situation and can't understand or doesn't want to understand that this is a protest against the higher cost of living," Alice Mabota, head of the Mozambican League of Human Rights, told Lusa.
"The rise in bread prices and other essential goods is not the reason for the protest, but only the drop of water that spilled the cup."
An estimated 70 percent of Mozambique's population live below the poverty line, according to the CIA World Factbook. The country is heavily dependent on imports from South Africa, which have become more expensive in recent months as the South African rand currency has strengthened.
"I can hardly feed myself. I will join the protest because I'm outraged by this high cost of living," Nelfa Temoteo, who lives in the densely populated Malhazine suburb, said
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/CAP09.htm
The violence was the worst in the poor southern African country, home to 23 million people, since 2008.
The protests appeared to have been touched off when the government increased prices on bread by 30 percent on Wednesday as wheat prices have soared around the world.
Residents of one of the world's poorest countries say they have been hit hard by rising costs for basic necessities including bread, with rising costs for fuel and other essentials adding to their troubles.
"The government underestimated the situation and can't understand or doesn't want to understand that this is a protest against the higher cost of living," Alice Mabota, head of the Mozambican League of Human Rights, told Lusa.
"The rise in bread prices and other essential goods is not the reason for the protest, but only the drop of water that spilled the cup."
An estimated 70 percent of Mozambique's population live below the poverty line, according to the CIA World Factbook. The country is heavily dependent on imports from South Africa, which have become more expensive in recent months as the South African rand currency has strengthened.
"I can hardly feed myself. I will join the protest because I'm outraged by this high cost of living," Nelfa Temoteo, who lives in the densely populated Malhazine suburb, said
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/CAP09.htm
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- groups:
- Community, Sustainable Agriculture, Co-Evolution
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- tags:
- Mozambique, Maputo food riots, wheat prices
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JanforGore
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It is in part a repurcussion of the losses sustained due to the wildfires in Russia. But to be sure, those who can manipulate this to their advantage will and are doing so.
- 1 year ago
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JanforGore
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ampersand
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Is the sudden rise in wheat prices due the same futures market criminal manipulation as we just had by Goldman Sachs?
Food riots in urban areas and shootings of civilians by government troops is a VERY bad sign. - 1 year ago
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ampersand
