STREET VENDORS RIOT OVER REGULATION

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000124

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/S GABRIELLE MALLORY
STATE FOR INR/AA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM ECON KCOR MI
SUBJECT: STREET VENDORS RIOT OVER REGULATION


1. (SBU) Summary: Hundreds of street vendors rioted in the
capital city of Lilongwe on February 7, protesting the
arrest of their trade association boss and government orders
to move into organized fee-charging market areas. Using tear
gas, police attempted to quell the vendors by pushing them
out of the downtown area. In all, police made forty arrests,
primarily for 'conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.'
While things quieted down after their trade association
chairman was released on bail (despite his call for continued
resistance to the police/government),the vendors are
expected to continue sporadic protests through the end of
this week. The government has given vendors until Saturday,
February 18, to move off the streets and into the market
area. End Summary.


2. (U) Grant Phiri, the chairman of the street vendors'
association, was arrested on the evening of February 13 for
assaulting a police officer. Vendors, seeing the arrest as
a pre-emptive strike by government ahead of Saturday's
drop-dead date for vendors to move into market areas, massed
the next day in downtown Lilongwe. After marching to the
police station where Phiri was held, vendors began throwing
rocks at shops, cars, and police officers.


3. (U) Responding to the rioting, police came out in force,
primarily using tear gas to subdue the vendors, though there
were some reports of live fire being used as well (police
have denied these report). While only one police officer was
injured, a number of civilians sustained injuries, as some
were trampled in the crowd and others assaulted by vendors.


4. (U) The casualty list includes two small children, who
were assaulted after their mother fled in the face of rioting
vendors. While one of children was treated as an
out-patient, the other was admitted to the central hospital
for treatment. No Americans were injured in the riots.


5. (SBU) Comment: For the time being, it seems that things
have quieted down, though there were reports of some
continued police activity downtown on the morning of February

8. However, violence might flare up again as the weekend
draws closer. Post will continue to monitor the situation,
and report as events unfold. End Comment

GILMOUR