Mozambique mourns dead

Renamo says the 1999 elections were rigged

The Mozambican Government has declared Monday a day of national mourning for the victims of political violence in the country last week.

The government says that 38 people were killed when the main opposition party, Renamo, staged a series of protests in several cities and provinces against what it claimed were rigged general elections in December last year.

The dead included six police officers.

In a statement, the country's Council of Ministers expressed its sympathy to relatives, and said that all individuals involved in the violence would be held responsible.

The violence occurred in the northern district of Cabo Delgado and Sofala province.

Demos called off

The opposition leader, Afonso Dhlakama called off the demonstrations on Saturday, but said that they would resume shortly.

Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama: Demos will resume soon

The opposition alliance of Renamo and nine other smaller parties took 117 out of the 250 parliamentary seats and have long disputed the elections won by President Chissano's Frelimo party.

International observers declared the election free and fair.

Earlier this year, Mr Dhlakama threatened to form his own government in his powerbase in central Mozambique

Renamo and Frelimo fought a 16-year civil war until 1992 when they signed a peace accord leading to the country's first multi-party elections two years later.