Malawi leader refuses to step down as 18 die in protests

Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika refused Thursday to step down after two days of riots left 18 dead, with soldiers deployed in the two main cities to quell protests that turned into looting.

The violence triggered international condemnation ranging from UN chief Ban Ki-moon, the United States and popstar Madonna, while Amnesty International accused security forces of shooting dead at least eight people.

Soldiers were deployed in townships around the capital Lilongwe and the commercial hub Blantyre, dispersing some 2,000 protesters who had taken to the streets accusing Mutharika of mismanaging the economy and trampling on democratic rights.

The 77-year-old president, who won a second term in office in May 2009, issued a defiant message.

"I will continue to govern the country," Mutharika said on national radio. "As mandated by the constitution, the authority to run government is in my hands and not any other person."

"I am ready to meet the opposition and civil society," he said, but then added the protests were "not led by God, but by Satan who will be defeated".

Amnesty International urged Malawi's authorities to "immediately launch an independent investigation into the deaths of at least eight people shot by security forces" in the northern city of Mzuzu.

At least 44 people, including six children, were being treated for gunshot wounds at Mzuzu Central Hospital, the rights watchdog added.

"Among the injured children are three 13-year-olds, two girls and a boy."

Mzuzu was the scene of the deadliest violence, where health ministry spokesman Henry Chimbali put the death toll at nine.

Six people were killed in Lilongwe, two in Blantyre and one in the town of Karonga on the border with Tanzania, he said.

"The bodies had fractured bones, deep cuts, broken ribs and lost a lot of blood," he said, adding that 22 people had been treated for injuries around the country.

Rights activist Moses Mkandawire, who heads the Church and Society rights group run by the Presbyterian Church, said some of the victims "were innocent people who were shot while walking".

He found seven bodies with gunshot wounds at the morgue in Mzuzu.

Mkandawire said the victims were shot when looters descended on Chinese-owned shops and offices of Mutharika's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

A coalition of rights groups had organised nationwide marches on Wednesday.

Violence erupted when police tried to block the protests, with homes and vehicles torched and businesses looted.

Looting broke out again Thursday, until heavily armed soldiers cleared the streets.

"The minute I saw army trucks driving into Limbe, I knew people were safe because the police seemed to have been overwhelmed with large numbers of people wanting to loot the shops," said Symon Manga, a resident of the Blantyre suburb of Limbe.

The UN secretary general is concerned by the violence and "reiterates his call for all differences to be resolved through peaceful means", his spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

The United States, which signed a $350 million aid package with Malawi three months ago, contingent on good governance, condemned the authorities for the use of force and urged restraint from all sides.

The Catholic Church in Malawi urged Mutharika to "listen attentively and honestly to the cries of the people".

Amnesty said police had fired tear gas into a hospital in Lilongwe, forcing it to shut down.

"While police must take all necessary steps to protect the right to life, firing tear gas into a hospital, affecting patients unable to flee from the gas, is unacceptable," said Erwin van der Borght, the organisations's director for Africa.

Madonna, who adopted two Malawian children and runs charities in the impoverished southern African country, said she was "deeply concerned" by the violence and its "devastating impact on Malawi's children".

"Malawi must find a peaceful solution to these problems that allows donors to have confidence that their money will be used efficiently," she said.

Mutharika had earned praise in his first term for ending a famine with popular but expensive fertilizer subsidies.

But last week Britain became the latest donor to cut aid to Malawi over concerns about economic mismanagement and Mutharika's moves to rein in the media, restrict lawsuits against the government and limit protests.

Malawi has suffered crippling fuel shortages as the government ran low on foreign currency to pay for imports, stoking public discontent.

Half of Malawi's 13 million people live below the poverty line, according to UN figures.

The government relies on donors to fund about 40 percent of its budget, but recently passed an austerity budget to compensate for suspended aid.