DPP human rights violations dent Malawi record – US report

A United States (US) Department of State report, covering the year 2019 under the former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has exposed human rights violations in Malawi.

The report, issued by the US Embassy on Thursday, shows that during the period, Malawi was marked by significant human rights violations including extrajudicial killings such as the death in police custody of Buleya Lule, a suspect in the abduction and killing of a person with albinism, as well as the torture and arbitrary detention committed by official security forces.

It also adds harsh and life-threatening prison and detention centre conditions, significant acts of corruption, lack of investigation and enforcement in cases of violence against girls and women but also criminalisation of same-sex sexual conduct.

According to the report, government efforts to deal with the problem was hampered by high levels of impunity.

Reads the statement in part: “Significant human rights issues included: extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention committed by official security forces; harsh and life-threatening prison and detention centre conditions; significant acts of corruption;

“Lack of investigation and enforcement in cases of violence against girls and women, including rape and domestic violence, partly due to weak enforcement; trafficking in persons; and criminalisation of same-sex sexual conduct. In some cases, the government took steps to prosecute officials who committed abuses, but impunity remained a problem.”

The banning of call in programmes on radio by Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority has been listed as an issues which impeded the right of expression in the immediate past administration.