The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has asked government to step up efforts to end violence against women and attacks against persons with albinism in Malawi ahead of the 2019 tripartite elections.
Following recent incidents in the country, the UN agency has expressed concern about the increase in political violence and has asked authorities to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
“We welcome the fact that, on 23 January, President Peter Arthur Mutharika condemned political violence, including acts aimed at humiliating women in the political arena. However, we are concerned that so far no one has been brought to justice for any of the series of politically motivated attacks that have been taking place since last year,” spokesperson for the UN agency Rupert Colville said in a statement issued in Geneva, Switzerland.
Earlier this month UTM legislator Bon Kalindo was arrested for insulting President Peter Mutharika and later assaulted by Democratic Progressive Party youths known as cadets while Malawi Congress Party member Edward Govati was attacked last Sunday by the same DDP youths.
Last weekend, a man and a woman belonging to UTM were forced to take off their T-shirts leaving the woman in her underwear and the man half naked in Mangochi district.
On persons with albinism, 55-year -old Yasin Phiri was killed in Nkhatabay district on New Year’s Eve while a one-year-old baby was kidnapped in Karonga last week.
