Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Malawian authorities to take immediate action against political violence ahead of September's elections, warning that preventing such attacks is crucial for ensuring free and fair polls.

The rights organization sounded the alarm as police and the Malawi Defense Force (MDF) investigate their officers' failure to protect protesters during violent clashes in Lilongwe last month.

HRW's Africa researcher Idriss Ali Nassah stressed, "Allowing such violence to go unchecked undermines public trust in the electoral process and creates a climate of fear.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police Dr. Noel Mlowoka Kaira stated, "The police [are] committed to protecting everyone during this electoral period.”

However, this assurance clashes with eyewitness accounts of the June 26 attacks, where armed assailants targeted demonstrators demanding electoral reforms while police "stood by without intervening.”

Activist Sylvester Namiwa, who survived a machete attack, described the scene as a "near-death experience," accusing security forces of betrayal: "They watched as assailants beat me and attempted to abduct me. Their inaction makes me question their commitment to protecting citizens.”

His organization, Citizens for Credible Elections, has joined opposition parties in demanding electoral reforms and the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission chair Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, whom they accuse of bias.

The violence has drawn international condemnation, with the diplomatic community declaring it was concerned by the security forces' failure to act.

Local groups, including Malawi’s Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP), demanded disciplinary action against officers who "failed in their constitutional duty.”