Dzaleka (Malawi) : three Burundian refugees kidnapped

SOS Médias Burundi

Dzaleka (Malawi), October 8, 2025 — Three Burundian refugees, two men and a woman, were kidnapped during the night from Saturday to Sunday near the Dzaleka camp in central Malawi. Their vehicle was intercepted by unidentified gunmen, according to local authorities.

According to initial investigations, the three refugees had transported a seriously ill compatriot to Dowa Hospital, located about thirty kilometers from the camp. The incident occurred as they were returning to Dzaleka, around 3 a.m.

“These passengers thought they were soldiers on patrol because it was dark. However, that wasn’t the case,” said a Malawian police source.

The vehicle was hijacked, and everyone on board disappeared.

A camp nurse in police sights

One of the prime suspects is believed to be a nurse from the Dzaleka camp. According to several witnesses, he accompanied the patient to the hospital in Dowa, but refused to return with the three Burundians, preferring to stay there until the next day.

“He might have information about this ambush. Why didn’t he return with the others? Could it have been an accomplice who handed them over?” wondered a police source in Dowa.

Concern and anger within the refugee community

The families of the victims, originally from the Kawale I area, are calling on the police to find their loved ones alive and to open a thorough investigation.

“We want to know what happened. For months, security has been deteriorating, and no one is protecting us,” laments a Burundian refugee reached by telephone.

Rising crime despite a curfew

Many refugees are denouncing rising insecurity in the Dzaleka camp, where more than 50,000 refugees live, including approximately 11,000 Burundians.

Despite the curfew being in place for three months, kidnappings, burglaries, and nighttime assaults persist.

“This curfew is useless if the police don’t control entry and exit from the camp,” laments a representative of the Burundian community.

Established in 1994 to accommodate refugees from Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC, Dzaleka camp is located in the Dowa district of central Malawi, approximately 40 km from Lilongwe, the capital.
Initially designed for 12,000 people, it now hosts more than 50,000, often in precarious living conditions.

Refugee kidnappings, often carried out at night, have been increasing in recent months around Dzaleka.
Local organizations point to criminal networks operating in the area and call for increased protection from the police and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).