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Malawi seeks UN intervention for probe into death of its vice president in plane crash

The letter, signed by party president Enoch Chihana, said the Alliance for Democracy takes the tragedy "as a matter of national concern" as it impacted senior politicians

NAIROBI, June 14. /TASS/. Malawi’s Alliance for Democracy party has asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the African Union to intervene in investigating the air crash that killed Vice President Saulos Chilima and another eight high profile officials earlier this week, Xinhua reported.

The political party is a member of a coalition that led Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera to power in the 2020 election.

The letter, signed by party president Enoch Chihana, said the Alliance for Democracy takes the tragedy "as a matter of national concern" as it impacted senior politicians, hence the UN's intervention is needed.

The letter also urges the South African Development Community and the African Union to support "a proper closure on the accident," Xinhua said.

Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight senior officials were killed in a plane crash in the Mzimba district on June 10, 2024. A Malawi Air Force plane flying from the capital Lilongwe to the northern town of Mzuzu failed to land due to poor weather conditions and turned back. The republic has declared mourning from June 11 to July 1.

Malawi’s Information and Digitalization Minister Moses Kunkuyu announced on Wednesday that the east African country’s Defense Force and police would investigate the accident even though it was reportedly caused by bad weather conditions.

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