Chihana Survives Second Convoy Attack in Kasungu – AFORD Cries Foul

Political tension in Malawi has deepened after Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) president Enock Chihana narrowly escaped what his party describes as a targeted assassination attempt in Kasungu West on Thursday.

The incident happened as Chihana’s convoy was returning from a political rally at Chalowa School in Traditional Authority Mawawa. According to AFORD officials, the convoy was violently blocked by suspected thugs armed with pangas, who attempted to attack the opposition leader.

“This was not a robbery. This was a coordinated political attack. The crocodiles are hungry – they want blood. But democracy will prevail,” said AFORD Deputy Secretary Chris Thaulo, accusing operatives linked to the ruling party of orchestrating the assault.

Thursday’s attack comes barely five months after another AFORD convoy was ambushed in Lilongwe on February 27. That incident, confirmed by party spokesperson Anne Maluwa, took place near Mchesi as Chihana and his team returned from a funeral in Area 22. Armed assailants damaged at least one vehicle and injured several people, though Chihana was unharmed on both occasions.

Eyewitnesses to the Kasungu incident described scenes of chaos as the convoy was forced to a halt before security personnel intervened.

AFORD is now calling for urgent investigations, warning that repeated attacks on opposition leaders threaten Malawi’s democratic space.