Plane Carrying Malawi Vice President Has Gone Missing

The government has reported that a military aircraft carrying Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima is missing after it failed to land on Monday morning. Despite efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the aircraft since it disappeared from radar, they have been unsuccessful.

The plane departed just after 9:00 am local time (0700 GMT) with Chilima, 51, and nine others on board. President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered regional and national forces to immediately begin a search and rescue operation to find the missing aircraft.

Chakwera, who was supposed to travel to the Bahamas for a working visit, has had to cancel his trip due to the situation. In 2022, Chilima was stripped of his powers after being arrested and charged with corruption related to a bribery scandal involving a British-Malawian businessman.

Last month, the charges against Chilima were dropped by a Malawian court after he attended multiple court appearances.