A minor aged between 12 and 14 lost his life yesterday afternoon, Friday, during a riot in the district of Guro, in the central province of Manica.

According to an AIM publication, the violence was caused by a rumor claiming that there was an economic agent in the district who was preventing the rain from falling. When he realized that his life might be at risk, the businessman took refuge in the District Command of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM), where the aim was to find a safe place. However, this didn't stop the population from going to the PRM Command to demand the citizen's surrender and take private justice into their own hands.

According to the spokesman for the PRM Provincial Command in Manica, Mateus Mindu, some residents of Guro started throwing stones and other objects at the district command, triggering a wave of violence that culminated in the death of the minor.

"The population wanted the economic agent accused of preventing the rain. He had taken refuge in the District Command. The population began to rebel and the police were forced to take measures to quell the fury," said Mateus Mindu at a press conference on Saturday.

The source added that in the town, the population threw some objects and burned some vehicles, homes and motorcycles belonging to the economic agent.

"The destruction was total. The people used some homemade grenades. Work is still underway to assess the damage caused by this incident and the real causes of the child's death," said Mateus Mindu.

The spokesman stressed that "if it is proven that the death of the minor was caused by the police's wrongdoing, there will indeed be some accountability". But, "what we know so far is that, on the other side of the population, there was the throwing of stones and objects that also endangered human life. So we are still investigating the real causes of that death."

At the moment, according to Mateus Mindu, the atmosphere has returned to normal after a contingent of the riot control force was mobilized.

A unit of the Rapid Intervention Force (UIR) was deployed to the town of Guro with the aim of restoring order and public safety.