Dzaleka (Malawi) : Disturbing disappearance of two refugee community leaders

SOS Médias Burundi

Dzaleka, May 27, 2025 – Two prominent figures in the refugee community of Dzaleka camp in Malawi have been missing since Sunday. They are Daniel, a Burundian village chief from Katuza, and Patrick, a Congolese civilian security officer. The two men were reportedly abducted by unidentified individuals posing as police officers.

According to testimonies gathered on the scene, the kidnappers, dressed in uniforms similar to those of the Malawian police, arrived at Daniel’s home around 2:00 a.m. They reportedly asked him to follow them to “observe a crime” in his area.

Suspicious, the village chief alerted Patrick, his neighbor, to accompany him. Since then, neither man has been heard from.

Families in distress, police deny involvement

The next day, the wives of the missing men contacted the local authorities. One of them claims to have seen “twelve men in uniform.” “We thought it was the police. But observing their interactions, my husband didn’t seem to recognize them,” she explained.

However, the camp police deny any operation carried out that night.

“No community leader has been arrested. No incident has been reported to us. We are just as surprised,” said the Dzaleka police station chief.

This Tuesday, the families returned to the police station, still without news. The authorities say they have opened an investigation. “There is no indication that our officers are involved. But we will do everything we can to find these men alive and discover the perpetrators of this crime,” the police station chief assured.

Intellectuals targeted?

In the camp, this affair has rekindled a climate of anxiety. The targeted disappearances of intellectuals and community leaders are nothing new. “We have the impression that they’re trying to silence those who raise awareness,” murmurs a Congolese refugee.

Others speak of recurring tensions with host communities, with some accusing refugees of “economic success” or “appropriating local land.”

Growing distrust and security guard strike

In protest and fearing the same fate, the camp’s civilian security guards have suspended their night patrols. They are also demanding six months of salary arrears.

Dzaleka, located about 40 kilometers from Lilongwe, is now home to more than 50,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.