Malawi among worst human rights defenders

Three renowned international human rights organisations have named Malawi among five southern Africa nations with poor human rights record and have since urged the region’s leaders to hasten addressing the abuses in the said countries.

The call from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, was made ahead of the just-ended 34th Summit of Heads of State and Government of Southern African Development Community (Sadc) in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

The other four countries, according to the three human rights organisations, are Angola, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In a statement, the organisations have observed that while last Malawi’s May 20 Tripartite Elections reaffirmed the strength and independence of the country’s key government institutions such as the Judiciary, the security forces and Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), the country has to show commitment to the international human rights instruments to which it is party.

However, the three have urged Sadc leaders to demand the Mutharika administration to continue on its democratisation and promotion of human rights’ path by ensuring that all human rights instruments are included in the domestic laws as part of efforts to improve people’s lives.

“Malawi should take decisive steps to end discrimination and protect sexual minorities as well as ensure gender equality and the protection of women’s rights in all spheres of society,” reads the statement in part.