Malawi’s ambassadorial row in Kuwait has taken a legal turn, with recalled ambassador Younos Abdul Karim securing a court order requiring government to continue treating him as the country’s serving envoy.
The order directs the Attorney General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chief Secretary and the Embassy of Malawi in Kuwait to treat Karim as a serving ambassador pending further proceedings.
The development follows a letter dated September 14, 2026, in which government directed Karim to return from Kuwait by September 30 and hand over the functions of Head of Mission.
Karim then sought the court’s intervention, challenging the manner in which his recall and the changes to Malawi’s ambassadorial representation in Kuwait were being handled.
On May 14, 2026, government appointed Karim as Malawi’s ambassador to Kuwait, but later appointed Alison Liwanda as ambassador-designate.
However, on August 31, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Liwanda’s appointment had been withdrawn and that Karim remained Malawi’s ambassador to Kuwait.
Despite this, Karim was subsequently recalled and directed to return to Malawi by the end of September.
Karim has served as Malawi’s ambassador to Kuwait since 2022, while Liwanda has served as Malawi’s Deputy Ambassador to Kuwait for about 15 years.
