Mozambique’s opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, who has been calling for protests from exile for weeks, has said he will return to the country on Thursday.
Mondlane said he would arrive before the swearing-in of a new president next week.
Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party will be sworn in next Wednesday after a court confirmed his election victory.
But Mondlane, the runner-up, rejected the outcome, sparking violent protests that have left dozens dead since October.
Mondlane left Mozambique the same month, saying he feared for his life after two of his aides were shot dead.
On Sunday, in a Facebook live address, he sent a defiant message to authorities, saying he “will be in Maputo. They don’t have to chase me anymore.”
He said he would arrive at Maputo International Airport at 08:05 local time (06:05 GMT) on Thursday, and called on people to welcome him there.
“If they kill my brothers… I will be there. You can do whatever you want. If you want to kill, kill. If you want to arrest, arrest too. I will be there,” he said.
Mondlane claims he won the election and has called for more protests until there is “electoral truth.”
His supporters have regularly staged violent protests across the country to demand an end to the Frelimo party’s 49-year rule.
He has previously said he would install himself as president on January 15 – the day of the presidential inauguration – despite the court upholding his rival’s victory.
The electoral commission initially declared Chapo the winner of the election with 71% of the vote, compared to Mondlane’s 20%.
The final official results from the constitutional court two weeks ago gave Chapo 65% and Mondlane 24%.
International election observers have previously said the voting was flawed, pointing to rigged numbers and other irregularities in the counting process.
Security forces have tried to end the nationwide protests with a violent crackdown that has tested the country’s stability.
Rights groups say more than 270 people have been killed, including protesters, children and members of the security forces.
The unrest also has consequences for the economy: more than 12,000 people have lost their jobs and more than 500 businesses have been destroyed.
Neighboring countries have also been hit by the political unrest, with thousands of Mozambicans fleeing across the border.
Outgoing President Filipe Nyusi has in the past called for dialogue to resolve the dispute. On December 27, Chapo called for “nonviolence” and “unity”.
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