Violent clashes between supporters of Mozambique's ruling Frelimo Party (Mozambican Liberation Front) and the former rebel movement Renamo (Mozambican National Resistance) in the central province of Zambezia have left ten people injured, three of them seriously.

The violence broke out Tuesday in the town of Errego, about 300 kilometers from the provincial capital, Quelimane.

Witnesses said all the ten injured people were members and sympathizers of Frelimo.

The clashes coincided with the arrival in Errego of the Renamo general- secretary, Joao Alexandre, who is campaigning for his party across the northern part of Zambezia.

The deputy head of the Frelimo election campaign in Zambezia, Deputy Defence Minister Antonio Hama Thai, made an emergency visit to Errego on Wednesday morning, where he attacked "the violence sponsored by Renamo during its campaign".

But he also criticized the police, accusing them of merely watching the violence. He said that, 15 hours after the clashes, the police had still done nothing to identify the ringleaders. The Errego police commander, however, claimed his men did all they could to avoid the clashes.

According to the Zambezia provincial police commander, Fernando Saete, the violence broke out when rival Frelimo and Renamo demonstrators crossed each other's paths on the main street in Errego.

The Frelimo demonstrators retreated to the local Frelimo offices, which are on the main street, but were pursued by the Renamo mob, which then stormed the party premises.