Perpetrator of violence identified as Nerson
* While the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops is neutral in matters of party politics, we remind all Catholics and people of goodwill — whatever their individual political views — to be united in our commitment to our Saviour Jesus Christ and His teachings on the primacy of the commandment of love
* As the DPP wastes energy to engage diplomatic missions long after they have already done so on Thursday’s political violence in Lilongwe
By Duncan Mlanjira
Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops joins the nation in expressing its deep concern over the increasing instances of political violence in the country, emphasising that “in the defence of democracy and peace” they “condemn in stongest terms possible, all forms of violence and lawless behaviour which have been noted over the recent months/and days”.
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They maintain that while they are “neutral in matters of party politics” they remind “all Catholics and people of goodwill — whatever their individual political views — to be united in [their] commitment to [the] Saviour Jesus Christ and His teachings on the primacy of the commandment of love”.
“As His followers, we should treat one another and all of God’s children with respect, dignity, and love,” say the Bishops in the statement. “No polical or other affiliations should supersede this sacred responsibility: ‘Blessed as the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5-9)’.
“We urge all citizens to remember the precious and fragile nature of freedom and peace. As citizens of Malawi look ahead to the general elections, we urge them to honour democratic institutions and processes, and to obey, honour and sustain the law.
“We call up all security agencies not to abrogate their duty by paying a blind eye to criminal activities. Such behaviour not only fiels impunity but also erodes public trust in them and leaders to the so-called ‘mob justice’.”
The demonstration were led by the Police and the MDF
The Bishops further “strongly urge politicians in general, and leaders of political parties [in particular], to refrain from inciting violence among their supporters”.
“Political violence has never been a solution to differing political beliefs and ideologies. Regardless of the scale and number of the evil acts of violence we have seen in the past months/days, peaceful co-existence among people of different political views is possible.
“A commitment to peace must be a priority for all of us in the days to come as we approach the general elections.”
Thursdays demonstrations across the country were demanding for Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to be transparent and accountable towards the September elections, and the Bishops had a word for MEC, saying: “We strongly appeal to MEC to always fulfill its duty in a way that builds trust among political parties and the general public concerning the forthcoming elections”.
In conclusion, the Bishops ‘direct that there be special prayers for peaceful elections in all [Catholic] churches on Sunday, July 5” — saying: “Let there be peace in our country, O Lord — a deep and abiding peace which brings an end to the glorification of violence and ushers peace and unity. Amen.”
Meanwhile, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has wasted energy to engage diplomatic missions on the violence long after they have already done so on Thursday’s political violence in Lilongwe.
Hours before, the Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Malawi reacted to the brutal violence that took place yesterday with US Embassy Charge d’Affaires, Amy Diaz saying she was “sickened to see the violence against peaceful demonstrators by a group of armed assailants”.
“What was particularly appalling was the failure of the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Defence Force to carry out their duties to protect their fellow citizens. A fundamental duty of government is to ensure that citizens can freely exercise their rights under the Constitution,” Diaz said.
On their part, the Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Malawi jointly condemned the violence and called on the Government and Malawi’s State authorities “to uphold the rule of law, protect the people of Malawi and conduct an investigation into any incidents of violence”.
However, in his statement, DPP secretary general, Peter Mukhito “alerts” the diplomatic missions to the “grave incident of state-orchestrated violence” in Lilongwe during the “peaceful demonstration organised by citizens exercising their democratic right to free expression”.
The DPP contend that the violence perpetrators are “believed to be state-sponsored assailants [who] launched a brutal attack using dangerous weapons, including panga knives” and that one of the organisers of the demonstration Sylvester Namiwa, “sustained grievous harm in the attack”.
“Alarmingly, this act of violence unfolded in full view of personnel from both the Malawi Defense Force and the Malawi Police Service, who failed to intervene despite their mandate to protect civilians and uphold public order,” further says Mukhito.
“This event, occurring merely two months before Malawi’s scheduled tripartite elections on September 16, gravely undermines public confidence in the safety, transparency, and fairness of the electoral process.
“The use of intimidation and violence against peaceful protestors is a blatant violation of democratic principles and poses a direct threat to national peace and stability.
“In light of these troubling developments, we respectfully appeal for the urgent intervention of the international community. Specifically, we call upon the United Nations, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to consider deploying security observers or peacekeeping personnel to Malawi to help safeguard the democratic process and ensure the protection of all citizens during this critical electoral period.”
The DPP believes that the Diplomatic Missions are committed to democratic governance and share its concern “for the protection of fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,”
“The presence of impartial international observers would not only help deter further acts of political violence but also play a critical role in restoring public trust in our electoral insitutons.
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“We further urge the Government of Malawi to take immediate and transparent steps to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for these violent acts. Ensuring justice and enacting reforms to protect democratic freedoms are essential for the credibility of the upcoming elections.”
The DPP concludes to that it “remains steadfast in its commitment to a peaceful, democratic and just Malawi” and appeal for the diplomatic missions’ “support in ensuring that the upcoming elections reflect the genuine will of the Malawian people and are conducted in an atmosphere free from fear and coercion”.
