Malawi president missing, police search for him

Malawi is gripped by anxiety and hope after the disappearance of a military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima and former First Lady Shaniel Zimbiri. The incident has prompted a massive search and rescue operation in the mountainous forests near the northern city of Mzuzu. President Lazarus Chakwera has assured the nation that all available resources will be used to find the missing plane and its passengers.

The military plane took off from Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, at 9:17 am on Monday and was scheduled to land at Mzuzu International Airport 45 minutes later. However, due to bad weather and low visibility, air traffic control advised the plane to return. Soon after, the plane disappeared from the radar and lost contact, which immediately attracted attention.

Search Action

Addressing the nation live on national television, President Chakwera expressed his deep concern and commitment to the search and rescue efforts. “I know this is a heartbreaking situation. I know we are all scared and worried. I am worried too,” he said. The President assured the public that the search and rescue efforts would continue throughout the night, using all available resources.

The search was focused on a 10 km (6 mile) radius in the Vipiah Mountains, based on the plane’s last known position as tracked by telecommunications towers. The Malawi Defense Force led the operation, assisted by international partners including the United States, United Kingdom, Norway and Israel. These countries provided specialized technology to assist in the search, reflecting the global concern for the missing passengers.

Among the passengers were Vice President Saulos Chilima, former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri and three military crew members. The group was travelling to attend the funeral of a former government minister. President Chakwera stressed the seriousness of the situation and urged Malawians to pray for those on board and their families. “I have a glimmer of hope that we will find survivors,” he said.

Background of Chilima

Saulos Chilima has been the Vice President of Malawi since 2020. He was a candidate in the 2019 presidential election, coming in third. The election was initially won by the incumbent President Peter Mutharika, but was annulled by Malawi’s Constitutional Court due to irregularities. Chilima then joined forces with Lazarus Chakwera and served as Chakwera’s vice presidential candidate in the historic 2020 election rerun, where Chakwera was ultimately elected president. The election was the first in Africa where an incumbent president lost due to a court overturning the election results.

Chilima recently faced corruption charges alleging he accepted money to influence the awarding of government contracts. However, those charges were dropped last month, leading to criticism that President Chakwera’s administration was not being firm enough on corruption. The decision to drop the charges sparked debate and scrutiny on the government’s resolve to fight corruption.

International Support

The international community responded quickly to Malawi’s call for assistance in the search. The United States, the United Kingdom, Norway and Israel all offered their help, providing advanced technology to help find the missing plane. President Chakwera expressed his gratitude and hoped that this would speed up the search and increase the chances of finding survivors.

The complex terrain and bad weather make the search and rescue work very difficult. However, the determination of the Malawi Defense Force and international support bring hope to the people. The country remains nervous and hopes to see a positive result.

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