POLICEMAN STONED TO DEATH’ BY ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS
The clashes between Malawi
protesters and police had on Tuesday resulted in the death of a Police officer
according to the Police spokesperson. Police have been clashing with protesters
angered by the results of the May presidential elections.
Police spokesman James
Kadadzerab told news agency AFP that officer Usumani Imedi had been stoned to
death and “killed by rioters and criminals”. He was among officers who
confronted demonstrators who had blocked the main road in Msundwe, an
opposition stronghold, to stop supporters of President Peter Mutharika’s from
attending his first rally in the city since his controversial election win in
May.
Opposition supporters have
been angered by how the electoral commission handled the votes, alleging it was
full of irregularities.
Malawi Homeland Security
Minister Nicholas Dausi said that other road users had asked for the police to
intervene after the protesters blocked the busy road.
“When the police arrived,
they started stoning them to the extent that we have lost one police officer”.
Malawi Police fired
teargas to disperse the demonstrators but they “kept regrouping and they fought
back with stones… in the ensuing chaos, they cornered one policeman whom they
stoned to death,” an eyewitness told AFP.
At least 12 people have
been arrested and many more are likely to be detained local Nation newspaper
reports.
President Mutharika later
held the rally in the capital and appealed for calm in the country, saying:
“This is our country. Let’s not burn it down.”
AFP
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