Dzaleka : a Congolese refugee found dead, strangled, and robbed of his motorcycle

SOS Médias Burundi

Dzaleka, June 3, 2025 – A young Congolese refugee was found dead near the Dzaleka camp in central Malawi on Monday. According to police, the victim, aged around twenty, was allegedly strangled. His body was discovered in a gutter in the village of Dowa Tanoffu, not far from the camp.

According to police testimony, the young man was last seen last Saturday, transporting a Malawian citizen on his motorcycle. The motorcycle has since disappeared, reinforcing the theory of a robbery followed by murder. Investigations are underway to identify the perpetrators of this crime.

“There are more and more crimes targeting refugees, and fear is growing in the camp. We demand justice for our brothers,” one of his colleagues told SOS Médias Burundi, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Camp residents denounce the increasing crime targeting refugees, particularly motorcycle taxi riders, who have become easy targets. Others believe this violence is part of a context of latent tensions between refugees and host communities. Some locals accuse new arrivals of taking advantage of international aid or even coveting their land.

Located approximately 40 kilometers from Lilongwe, the Malawian capital, Dzaleka camp currently hosts more than 50,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, and Ethiopia. In recent months, reports of violence, theft, and intercommunity tensions have increased.