Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima Reported Missing as Military Aircraft Disappears
Malawi's Vice President, Saulos Chilima, is missing after the military aircraft he was traveling in failed to make a scheduled landing yesterday morning, according to the government.
Despite efforts by aviation authorities to establish contact with the aircraft since it vanished from radar, no communication has been established thus far, the government stated in a released statement.
The plane, which departed just after 9:00 am local time (0700 GMT), carried 51-year-old Chilima along with nine others. President Lazarus Chakwera has instructed regional and national forces to commence an immediate search and rescue operation to locate the whereabouts of the aircraft.
In light of the situation, President Chakwera has cancelled his planned trip to the Bahamas for a working visit.
The disappearance of Vice President Chilima comes amidst past turmoil. In 2022, Chilima faced a setback when he was stripped of his powers following his arrest and charges related to graft in a bribery scandal involving a British-Malawian businessman.
However, last month, a Malawian court dropped the charges against Chilima after he attended several court appearances.
