New President of Malawi condemns violence in northern Mozambique

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New President of Malawi condemns violence in northern Mozambique

12:10 CAT | 07 Jul 2020

Photo: DW

Malawi’s new president, Lazarus Chakwera, has condemned the armed attacks in northern Mozambique, and expressed his willingness to help achieve peace in the country and in southern Africa generally, a statement from the Mozambican Presidency’s office announces.

Lazarus Chakwera condemned the violence in the north during a telephone conversation with his Mozambican counterpart, Filipe Nyusi, the note says.

“President Lazarus Chakwera condemned the terrorist actions in the north of the country and expressed his support in order to guarantee peace in the region,” the statement reads.

The two heads of state expressed their desire to focus on cooperation in defence and security aimed at combating armed violence. They also analysed the fight against Covid-19, sharing information and experience in the fight against the pandemic.

The Mozambican head of state expressed a personal interest in cooperating with the Malawian president and invited him to visit Mozambique as soon as conditions allowed.

Lazarus Chakwera, a 65-year-old former evangelical pastor, won the June 23 election with 58.57% of the vote, ahead of outgoing head of state Peter Mutharika, who had been in power since 2014.

The elections were rerun this year after widespread fraud in the 2019 ballot, which re-elected Mutharika, was proven.

The attacks by armed groups and clashes with the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces (FDS) in the north of the country, more specifically in the province of Cabo Delgado, have already caused the death of at least 700 people, along with a humanitarian crisis affecting about 211,000 residents.

Source: Lusa