Malawi Police contradict own report on Egyptian Diplomat beating, sparking confusion

Police have hit back at social media claims that an Egyptian diplomat was kidnapped in Lilongwe, insisting the incident was nothing more than a minor road crash.

In a statement dated October 30, 2026, Senior Superintendent Gladys Chiwaula, the Service Public Relations Officer, said an incident involving a vehicle belonging to the Egyptian Embassy at Independence Total Filling Station on Presidential Drive, Lilongwe, on Friday was “a road traffic accident and not a kidnapping incident as alleged on social media.”

Police said they had received a report of a damages-only collision between the diplomatic vehicle and a Toyota Axio.

Both vehicles suffered damage to their side-view mirrors, the statement said.

The force urged the public to “disregard the misleading social media claims” and avoid sharing unverified information, while adding that officers were still following up to establish “all relevant circumstances” of the incident.

The denial sits awkwardly with the police’s own earlier comments.

Nation Online reported that the same spokesperson had confirmed that Egypt’s Deputy Ambassador to Malawi was attacked and beaten in Lilongwe and admitted to hospital in the capital.

The police statement does not mention any assault or hospital admission, and it is unclear whether the two reports describe the same event.

Legal commentary circulating on social media has raised wider concerns. A message said Article 29 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations requires Malawi to protect a diplomat’s person, freedom and dignity, regardless of who was at fault in a crash.

It said Article 41 requires diplomats to respect local law, and that traffic law sets out what drivers must do after an accident, including where they fear for their safety.

The message said any breach should be handled by police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that a crowd could never justify taking matters into its own hands.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not commented publicly.