Mutharika ‘shocked’ by killings of Malawian soldiers in DRC

November 16, 2018 Nyasa Times Reporter 10 Comments

Malawian President Peter Mutharika said on Friday  he was shocked about the loss of six Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while in the course of  duty on November 14 2018.

President Mutharika has paid his tribute to the brave servicemen

The soldiers were participating in a peacekeeping operation in the conflict-torn eastern region of the country.

Mutharika, who is also Commander-In-Chief of MDF,  said in a statement issued by his spokesman Mgeme Kalilani that he regrets the loss of  “these brave, disciplined and courageous soldiers who have paid the ultimate human price in the course of facilitating peace for our brothers and sisters in the DRC under a United Nations (UN) Peace Support Operation.”

He has offered  condolences to the families of the courageous soldiers “who have died in battle and fallen in their uniforms.”

Said Mutharika: “ Their lives have not been lost in vain.”

The Malawi leader is urging the remaining members of the current Malawi Defence Force mission in the DRC to continue to be strong and soldier on with their mission to the end in honour of their departed friends, Malawi and humanity at large.

Mutharika assures the mission of his ultimate support in these trying times and wishes those injured a quick recovery.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killing in a statement and called on armed groups to disarm immediately. Guterres said it was the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in recent history and amounted to a “war crime”.

“I want to express my outrage and utter heartbreak at last night’s attack. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else,” he said in quotes reported by BBC.

Meanwhile, the Commander-In-Chief, Malawi Defence Force Commanders, Generals and the United Nations are working on logistics to bring home bodies of the brave soldiers so that they can be accorded the respect they deserve.

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10 replies on “Mutharika ‘shocked’ by killings of Malawian soldiers in DRC”

  1. Bwana, sending our innocent men and women who bravely signed up to defend Malawi to war torn/war zones isn’t the brightest thing to do. In as much it is Malawi’s obligation to do so under whatever convention it still doesn’t justify getting your own killed. Instead of sending innocent people to war zones, the smartest African leaders can do is to be ruthless with each other and stop all the wars in the region through the now “toothless” AU. Save soldiers lives and if anything deal with each other as leaders and get them to account. Bwana, now that our sons have died in a war that they don’t even understand, will you please stop being surprised! Your soldiers are carrying guns to defend gun-carrying rebels/hooligans; its either your soldiers die or the hooligans die. Its a fact so don’t act surprised when your own sons die. Just bring all of them back and bring the head of the African states to account under the AU.

  3. Helping to create peace in other countries and in the process our soldiers, (sons, brothers, fathers etc) getting killed there. Here at home we are not learning anything about the need to tolerate and understand each other things that the people of those countries have failed to do for a long time and the result being those wars. We are busy putting petrol on fire. DPP’s cadets are busy burning cars and offices, beating people who don’t share the same thinking and Maliseche who is also Commander in Chief of the very soldiers who are being killed in those war torn countries wants us to believe that he is sorry/shocked by the developments there, my foot. Young people below 30 years dying leaving, in the case of these soldiers, a total of between 12 and 18 children when those over 80 years old are not only holding on to power but stealing heavily. God, Allah forbid.

  8. That’s what it means to be in the army, it’s either you kill someone or you get killed, if you are lucky you get wounded or else you wound someone, don’t think of retirement, as a soldier you join the army in order to one day go to war.

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