The diplomatic community in Malawi has strongly condemned Thursday's violent attacks on peaceful protesters in Lilongwe, warning that such acts pose a serious threat to the country’s democratic values.

In a joint statement released on Friday, heads of diplomatic missions—including the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), the European Union (EU), Germany, Ireland, Iceland, Norway and Japan—expressed deep concern over what they described as a disturbing pattern of violence during lawful demonstrations in Malawi.

Reads their statement in part: “We are troubled by reports illustrating a trend of violence during peaceful and lawful demonstrations in Malawi's cities.”

They urged the Government of Malawi to uphold the rule of law, ensure the safety of its citizens, and conduct thorough investigations into incidents of violence.

“The right to freedom of assembly is enshrined in Malawi's constitution, protected under international human rights law and constitutes the cornerstone of Malawi's open and democratic society.”

Speaking in a separate interview with Zodiak Online, EU Ambassador to Malawi Rune Skinnebach expressed outrage over the events in Lilongwe.

“I was shocked, disappointed and disgusted by yesterday's events,” He said.

According to Skinnebach, the EU, a key supporter of police capacity-building efforts in Malawi, expects a full investigation into the attacks and accountability for those responsible.

“We have been giving support to police training but that is something we will have to reconsider if the police does not make good use of the training, if they seemingly don't intend to play their role and if their mandate is undermined by instructions from somewhere else,” he warned.

Thursday’s protest turned violent when unidentified individuals, armed with machetes, assaulted demonstrators and set two vehicles ablaze. The attacks occurred in full view of Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force officers, who reportedly did not intervene.

The incident has since drawn wide condemnation from various stakeholders across the country, including civil society organizations and human rights advocates.