The Malawi Defence Force (MDF) carried out a pre-dawn raid at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa District this month, targeting suspected human trafficking networks allegedly involving Ethiopian nationals
Minister of Defense Feston Kaupa confirmed that after Times reporting about children being molested and human trafficking, security agencies raided the camp and captured key suspects.
“We will not allow Malawi to have a bad name that refugees are being mistreated,” he said
According to Daily Times sources, gunshots were heard within the camp as MDF, Police, and Immigration personnel entered to arrest Ethiopian nationals suspected of facilitating human trafficking and smuggling fellow Ethiopians to South Africa. The operation reportedly focused on Zone Karonga in the camp
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The raid follows earlier reports highlighting rising cases of theft, burglary, gang activity, and gender-based violence at Dzaleka, concerns that have intensified following the withdrawal of some humanitarian aid
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MDF spokesperson Mlelemba confirmed the operation,
while Inua Advocacy Chief Executive Officer Magambi said security personnel raided two alleged illegal holding facilities in Zone Karonga where Ethiopian migrants awaiting onward smuggling were being kept. The facilities reportedly belonged to individuals identified as Mamush and his brothers, as well as a man known as Abraham, or “Ibra.” Individuals found at the locations were taken away by MDF
Security personnel later moved to Kawale 2, another zone, targeting a facility allegedly operated by Isaac, who had been arrested during a previous MDF raid in October 2024, detained for four months at Kamuzu Barracks, and deported in early 2025. It is alleged he returned to the camp to resume operations. The Kawale 2 facility was reportedly not raided after occupants allegedly threatened to resist and threw bricks at MDF personnel
In addition to Ethiopian migrants, several other individuals were arrested and transported in MDF vehicles. These include
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An Ethiopian asylum seeker, Shifara, and his Rwandan wife Umugabirwa Viviane with their three children Three workers Mushengezi, a Burundian teacher Nshimiye, a Burundian Zone Leader for Karonga, his wife, and their two children, one under two years old Three Rwandan men reportedly sleeping outside a bereaved family’s home
Laptops and phones were confiscated during the operation
Dzaleka Refugee Camp, about 41 km from Lilongwe, was established in 1994 to shelter people fleeing conflicts in the Great Lakes region. Originally designed for *around 12,000 refugees, the camp now hosts *over 60,000 people, mostly from the DRC, Burundi, and Rwanda. Women and children make up a large proportion of residents, with nearly 300 new arrivals monthly
The overcrowding has placed enormous pressure on shelter, health, water, sanitation, and food services. Reports link the cramped conditions to rising crime, gender-based violence, and other social vulnerabilities, worsened by recent cuts in international aid
Earlier Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Xavier Bettel, visited Dzaleka, engaging with refugees, UN agencies, and camp authorities to assess conditions and discuss support. His visit highlighted the urgent need for international assistance to help address severe overcrowding and food shortages
The recent MDF operation comes amid these ongoing humanitarian challenges, underscoring the government’s stance that refugee protection and security must go hand in hand with human rights and accountability
