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The European Union (EU) and the United States on Friday called on the Malawian government to investigate recent violence against demonstrators as tensions escalate ahead of the September elections.
This demand follows an incident on Thursday in the capital where unidentified assailants, armed with machetes and stones, attacked a protest, injuring several people and torching two vehicles.
The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of electoral commission officials, citing concerns over a lack of transparency regarding plans to implement electronic voting systems for the upcoming polls.
Malawi is preparing for an election where President Lazarus Chakwera will seek a second term to lead the nation of 21 million, nearly three-quarters of whom live in poverty. Sporadic demonstrations have been occurring in the lead-up to the election.
Sylvester Namiwa, one of the protesters, recounted to AFP that he was dragged from a minibus and beaten by an attacker, reportedly in full view of police and soldiers. He expressed distress at the apparent inaction of the Malawi Defence Force and Police Service.
However, police denied these claims, stating they used tear gas to disperse the attackers, who remain unidentified.
Credit: Amos Gumulira/AFP
Heads of mission from Britain, the European Union, Germany, Ireland, and the United States in Malawi issued a joint statement urging authorities to uphold the right to peaceful assembly.
“We are troubled by reports that illustrate a trend of violence during peaceful and lawful demonstrations in Malawi’s cities,” the statement read, calling for an investigation into all incidents of violence.
The United States issued a separate statement, with chargé d’affaires Amy Diaz accusing the police and defence force of failing to intervene, stating she was “sickened to see the violence against peaceful demonstrators by a group of armed assailants.”
Opposition leaders accuse President Chakwera’s ruling Malawi Congress Party of suppressing dissent through state institutions.
Public anger is also fuelled by soaring prices, with inflation nearing 30 per cent.
