Malawi army called in to quell Chilobwe violence

Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers have been called in to help quell protests and violence in Chilobwe, Blantyre as residents are battling with police over a murder suspect.

Police are currently firing tear-gas to disperse an angry crowd which is swelling around Chilobwe police unit demanding the release of a murder suspect who is in police custody.

Eye witnesses said the suspect went to steal from one of the houses in the high-density area after noticing that the owners of the house were not there.

However, a nine-year-old boy, the son to the owners of the house, found him red handed stealing and managed to identify the suspect.

This forced the suspect to kill the boy who was just coming from school in a bid to cover up evidence and covered him in beddings.

The parents found the boy in a pool of blood, with machete wounds, murdered.

The suspect is said to have surrendered himself to police in fear of mob justice.

But angry residents, baying for the blood of the suspect, have broken the police unit’s window panes.

They have also closed roads and the situation is getting out of hand and all shops in the township are now closed and all business is at standstill.