Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04LILONGWE452
2004-05-25 15:13:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Lilongwe
Cable title:  

VIOLENCE BRIEFLY FLARES FOLLOWING ELECTIONS

Tags:  ASEC CASC PGOV PHUM MI 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LILONGWE 000452 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/IP/ITA, CA/OCS/ACS (ROBINSON),AF/S,
AF/EX

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC CASC PGOV PHUM MI
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE BRIEFLY FLARES FOLLOWING ELECTIONS

REF: (A) LILONGWE 00449

(B) LILONGWE 00439
(C) LILONGWE 00438

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LILONGWE 000452

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/IP/ITA, CA/OCS/ACS (ROBINSON),AF/S,
AF/EX

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC CASC PGOV PHUM MI
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE BRIEFLY FLARES FOLLOWING ELECTIONS

REF: (A) LILONGWE 00449

(B) LILONGWE 00439
(C) LILONGWE 00438


1. (U) SUMMARY: SCATTERED VIOLENCE LINKED TO LAST WEEK'S
NATIONAL ELECTIONS OCCURRED THROUGHOUT MALAWI FROM 22-24
MAY; AS YET UNCONFIRMED REPORTS SEEM TO INDICATE THAT UP TO
THREE FATALITIES MAY HAVE OCCURRED IN BLANTYRE DURING THESE
DISTURBANCES, WHICH APPEAR TO HAVE RUN THEIR COURSE FOR NOW.
LILONGWE REMAINED QUIET THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD, AND NO USG
EMPLOYEES, PRIVATE AMCITS, USG FACILITIES, AMERICAN NGOS OR
AMERICAN CORPORATE ENTITIES ANYWHERE IN MALAWI HAVE REPORTED
BEING TARGETED OR SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY THIS FLARE-UP OF
POLITICAL VIOLENCE. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) DETAILS:


A. SCATTERED VIOLENCE LINKED TO LAST WEEK'S NATIONAL
ELECTIONS OCCURRED IN BLANTYRE, MZUZU AND ELSEWHERE IN
MALAWI FROM 22-24 MAY, FOR REASONS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED IN
REFTELS. THE WORST OF THIS VIOLENCE OCCURRED IN BLANTYRE,
WHERE SOME SHOPS AND ROADS WERE CLOSED ON MONDAY, 24 MAY.
(RSO COMMENT: SOME OF THESE CLOSURES WERE ALSO PARTIALLY
PROMPTED BY THE INAUGURATION OF MALAWI'S NEW PRESIDENT,
WHICH ALSO TOOK PLACE IN BLANTYRE ON 24 MAY AND WAS ATTENDED
BY VARIOUS REGIONAL HEADS-OF-STATE. END COMMENT.)


B. AS YET UNCONFIRMED REPORTS OBTAINED BY EMBASSY LILONGWE
SEEM TO INDICATE THAT UP TO THREE FATALITIES MAY HAVE
OCCURRED DURING THE DISTURBANCES IN BLANTYRE; WHILE THERE IS
A HEAVY POLICE PRESENCE ON THE STREETS OF THAT CITY TODAY
(TUESDAY, 25 MAY) THERE HAVE BEEN NO ADDITIONAL REPORTS OF
VIOLENCE THERE OR ELSEWHERE IN MALAWI, AND IT APPEARS THAT
THIS POLITICAL VIOLENCE HAS RUN ITS COURSE FOR NOW. (RSO
COMMENT: TWO REPORTS WE ARE AWARE OF CLAIM THAT ONE OF THE
FATALITIES WAS A MALAWI POLICE SERVICE CONSTABLE, BUT SENIOR
POLICE SOURCES IN LILONGWE HAVE UNOFFICIALLY DENIED THAT ANY
POLICE OFFICERS WERE KILLED WHILE RESTORING ORDER ANYWHERE
IN MALAWI; THESE SAME POLICE OFFICERS HAVE HOWEVER
UNOFFICIALLY CONFIRMED THAT ONE OF THE REPORTED FATALITIES
WAS A RIOTER, WHO WAS SHOT BY THE POLICE IN BLANTYRE. AT
THIS TIME WE HAVE NO FURTHER DETAILS ON WHETHER THIS USE OF
LETHAL FORCE BY THE POLICE ACTUALLY OCCURRED, OR WHAT THE
CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING IT MAY HAVE BEEN. END COMMENTS.)


C. LILONGWE REMAINED QUIET THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD DESCRIBED
ABOVE AND NO USG EMPLOYEES, PRIVATE AMCITS, USG FACILITIES,
AMERICAN NGOS OR AMERICAN CORPORATE ENTITIES ANYWHERE IN
MALAWI REPORTED BEING TARGETED OR AFFECTED BY THIS POLITICAL
VIOLENCE. ADDITIONALLY, NO PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE
CURRENTLY OFF-LIMITS TO USDH EMPLOYEES, AND PRIVATE AMCITS
ARE NOT BEING ADVISED TO AVOID ANY PARTICULAR LOCATIONS IN
MALAWI EITHER. (RSO COMMENT: ONE USDH MISSION EMPLOYEE
LIVES AND WORKS IN BLANTYRE; HE HAS BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR AND
HAS REPORTED THAT THE FLARE-UP OF VIOLENCE IN THAT CITY DID
NOT AFFECT HIM, HIS OFFICE OR HIS LOCALLY ENGAGED STAFF IN
ANY SIGNIFICANT WAY. END COMMENT.)


3. (SBU) RSO COMMENTS:


A. LILONGWE IS CURRENTLY RATED AS A MEDIUM POLITICAL
VIOLENCE THREAT POST. THE RECENT POLITICAL VIOLENCE
DESCRIBED ABOVE IS IN LINE WITH THAT THREAT RATING AND IS
NOT ATYPICAL FOR THIS COUNTRY.


B. POST IS AWARE OF STORIES PAINTING A FAR GRIMMER PICTURE
OF POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE WHICH HAVE BEEN PICKED UP AND
REPEATED BY VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL PRESS AGENCIES. AT THIS
TIME WE CANNOT/NOT CONFIRM ANY OF THESE STORIES AS ANYTHING
OTHER THAN POSSIBLE EXAMPLES OF SLOPPY REPORTING AND/OR POOR
FACT-CHECKING.


C. THE MALAWI POLICE SERVICE, WHILE GENERALLY WELL
INTENTIONED, IS UNDER FUNDED, UNDER STAFFED, POORLY TRAINED
AND VERY POORLY EQUIPPED; IN PARTICULAR THEY LACK SUFFICIENT
QUANTITIES OF MODERN RIOT-CONTROL GEAR, AND ARE NOT
PARTICULARLY WELL TRAINED IN USING THE GEAR THAT THEY DO
HAVE. IT IS THEREFORE ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT A CONSTABLE
MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED WHILE TRYING TO RESTORE ORDER IN
BLANTYRE, AND/OR THAT THE POLICE UTILIZED LETHAL FORCE WHILE
DOING SO THERE AS WELL. END COMMENTS.


4. (U) PLANS: POST'S POLITICAL SECTION, CONSULAR SECTION AND
REGIONAL SECURITY OFFICE ARE CONTINUING TO UTILIZE ALL
AVAILABLE SOURCES TO DETERMINE AND CONFIRM WHAT EXACTLY
HAPPENED ON THE STREET IN THE DAYS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE
MAY 20 ELECTIONS, AND WILL ADVISE ONCE WE HAVE SOLID
INFORMATION ON SAME AND/OR IF THE SECURITY SITUATION HERE
SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGES.

DOUGHERTY