Malawi is facing uncomfortable questions over how its military institutions were allegedly used to facilitate an international weapons operation, with a former army chief at the centre of the unfolding scandal.
According to an investigation by the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ), published on November 13, 2026, Malawi was allegedly turned into a transit route for weapons destined for conflict-hit Sudan through cargo flights linking Kenya, Malawi and Chad.
The investigation exposes an alleged military weapons order involving 60,000 AK-type rifles, 15,000 machine guns and 90 million rounds of ammunition, alongside artillery equipment and missiles.
An alleged Malawi Defence Force (MDF) end-user certificate dated June 18, 2025, identifies Nairobi-based Jabari Industries Limited as the exporter and Malawi’s Ministry of Defence as the intended recipient.
At the centre of the allegations is retired General Paul Valentino Phiri, former MDF Commander, who was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on October 1, 2026.
The ACB alleges that Phiri facilitated the weapons order, instructed subordinate officers to clear a cargo aircraft at Kamuzu International Airport and helped arrange the movement of military equipment from Malawi to Chad.
PIJ’s investigation identifies an Airbus A321-200 cargo aircraft, registration SU-SKG, operated by Sky Vision Airlines, as a key link in the alleged operation.
Flight-tracking records show that the aircraft repeatedly travelled between Mombasa, Kenya, and Lilongwe before making about 11 flights between Lilongwe and N’Djamena, Chad, between July and August 2025.
The alleged end-user certificate reportedly carries the signature of Brigadier General L.E. Mwase, marked “For Commander”, raising further questions about who prepared and authorised the document.
But the evidence has important limitations. PIJ says flight records cannot establish what cargo was carried, while the certificate does not prove that the listed weapons were delivered. Nor has the investigation established that the weapons reached Sudan.
Phiri has not responded to PIJ’s request for comment, and the allegations remain subject to determination by the courts.
The scandal now puts Malawi’s military procurement, airport security and arms-control systems under scrutiny. If the allegations are proven, the country may have been used to facilitate an international weapons operation without proper oversight.
The bigger question is whether one former army chief acted alone or whether others within the country’s security and government institutions helped make the alleged operation possible.
