Malawi in global week of action against gun violence

Malawi is this week observing the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence which will coincide with the commemoration of the International Day of Peace on Saturday.

Traditionally, the week highlights the international campaign to stop the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons.

The commemoration comes at a time the Malawi Police Service is hunting for assailants who shot Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo as he drove into his Area 43 residence in Lilongwe on Friday.

In a statement on the day, People’s Federation for National Peace executive director Edward Chaka called on peace players in the country to highlight the destructive impact of gun violence and the need to craft and implement laws to curb the problem.

He said: “Each small action we take at community level when combined, becomes another global campaign with resounding success.”

The themes for the action are ‘Get the guns out of streets’, ‘Disarm domestic violence’ and ‘Lock up the guns: Stock pile management’.

The International Peace Day theme is ‘Who will make you make peace with?’

The International Peace Day is an annual event when civil society organisations draw attention to their ongoing activities within a global and national context.

The International Peace Day will be celebrated on Saturday at the Blantyre Youth Centre in Blantyre.

The commemoration has been organised by Youth Consultative Forum, Young Politicians Union and National Youth Council of Malawi.