Daniel Chapo Sworn in as President of Mozambique

Mozambique’s new president Daniel Chapo, of the ruling FRELIMO party, has been officially sworn in as president of Mozambique in a private ceremony held under tight security in Maputo.

His inauguration follows months of unrest that left 300 people dead, according to election monitoring group Plataforma Decide.

In his speech, Mr. Chapo promised to focus on unity and lead development efforts across the country.

Many businesses in Maputo were closed after defeated presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane called a national strike to protest Chapo’s inauguration. C

He won the elections held in October last year with 65 percent of the vote, continuing the 49-year rule of the Frelimo party.

Mondlane – who ran for president in the election as an independent candidate – came in second with 24% of the vote. He challenged the results, saying they were rigged.

Both opposition parties in Mozambique – Renamo and MDM – boycotted Chapo’s inauguration ceremony, claiming the victory was illegitimate.