Bakili Muluzi Steps Down as Mediator in Dispute Over Edgar Lungu’s Burial Site

Former Malawian president Bakili Muluzi has officially withdrawn from his role as mediator in efforts to resolve the ongoing dispute surrounding the burial site of former Zambian president Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

Lungu, who passed away in June this year at a hospital in South Africa, has yet to be laid to rest due to disagreements between his family and the Zambian Government.

The government insists that his remains should be repatriated for a state funeral in Zambia, while the family prefers that he be buried in South Africa, citing alleged mistreatment by the current administration in Lusaka.

In a statement released today, Muluzi said that although “meaningful progress” had been made, several complex and sensitive issues remained unresolved. Consequently, he has decided to return the matter to both the Lungu family and the Zambian Government for them to reach a final agreement.

“It is our sincere hope that space will yet emerge for renewed, calm, and principled communication so that closure may be reached,” the statement reads in part.

Muluzi had been appointed as a neutral mediator to help bridge the divide between the two parties, but his withdrawal now leaves the matter once again in the hands of the family and the governmen