{"id":465641,"date":"2011-07-21T18:17:13","date_gmt":"2011-07-21T18:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/07\/21\/army-deployed-over-malawi-riots\/"},"modified":"2011-07-21T18:17:13","modified_gmt":"2011-07-21T18:17:13","slug":"army-deployed-over-malawi-riots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/07\/21\/army-deployed-over-malawi-riots\/","title":{"rendered":"Army deployed over Malawi riots"},"content":{"rendered":"

21 July 2011<\/span> Last updated at<\/span> 14:17 ET<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The army has been deployed in three Malawian cities on a second day of anti-government protests in which at least 18 people have been killed.<\/p>\n

President Bingu wa Mutharika has vowed to “use any measure I can think of” to quell the demonstrations.<\/p>\n

Protesters accuse him of plunging Malawi into its worst economic crisis since independence.<\/p>\n

The army has been deployed in the capital, Lilongwe, the biggest city, Blantyre, and Mzuzu in the north.<\/p>\n

The troops bolster a strong contingent of riot police in the three cities.<\/p>\n

The health ministry said 18 people had been killed in two days of protests, with post-mortems being conducted to establish the cause of death.<\/p>\n

“The bodies had fractured bones, deep cuts, broken ribs and lost a lot of blood,” health ministry spokesman Henry Chimbali told the AFP news agency.<\/p>\n

Nine people died in Mzuzu, six in Lilongwe, two in Blantyre, and one in the town of Karonga on the border with Tanzania, he said.<\/p>\n

Another 44 people suffered gunshot wounds in the clashes between protesters and security forces, correspondents say.<\/p>\n

A police spokesman said the security forces had opened fire in Lilongwe to prevent shops being looted and cars being smashed.<\/p>\n

One bystander was killed when caught in the crossfire, correspondents say.<\/p>\n

Lorry-loads of soldiers were patrolling central Lilongwe, clearing barricades set up by protesters.<\/p>\n

The city centre is deserted with shops closed, correspondents say.<\/p>\n

In an address to the nation, Mr Mutharika said the protesters were “working for Satan” and would be defeated.<\/p>\n

“As leader of the country, I have powers vested in me by the constitution to ensure peace, using every measure I can think of,” he said.<\/p>\n

‘Autocratic kleptocracy’<\/span><\/p>\n

Rev Maurice Munthali, deputy secretary general of the Church of the Central Africa Presbyterian told the BBC that the nine people who died in Mzuzu had been shot.<\/p>\n

“I’m actually in the mortuary identifying the bodies – it’s very sad.”<\/p>\n

Rev Munthali said that some of those in hospital had not been demonstrating but were caught in crossfire.<\/p>\n

Police spokeswoman Norah Chimwala confirmed one death and more than 10 gunshot injuries.<\/p>\n

Continue reading the main story<\/a><\/p>\n

The president at-a-glance<\/h2>\n