| Malawian Defence Force | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms of Malawi | |
| Service branches | Malawi Army Malawi Maritime Force[1] Malawi Air Force Malawi National Service |
| Headquarters | Kamuzu Barracks, Lilongwe |
| Website | Official website |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief and Minister of Defence | Peter Mutharika |
| Commander of the Defence Force | Lieutenant GeneralGeorge Jafu |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18 |
| Active personnel | 25,500 |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | $70 million (FY00/01) |
| Percent of GDP | 0.76% (FY00/01) |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers | France Portugal Russia South Africa United Kingdom United States |
| Related articles | |
| History | Mozambican Civil War Operation Bwezani M23 Rebellion ADF Insurgency |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Malawi |
TheMalawi Defence Force[2] is the state military organisation responsible for defendingMalawi. It originated from elements of the BritishKing's African Rifles, colonial units formed before independence in 1964.
The military is organized under the purview of the Ministry of Defence.
Before independence, Malawi depended for its military supplies on the barracks inRhodesia, as British colonial military logistics was usually organized on a continental basis, rather than at the level of individual colonies.[3] The Malawi Rifles were formed when the country gained its independence from theUnited Kingdom in 1964. Its first battalion was formed from the 1st Battalion,King's African Rifles. Upon independence the battalion became the 1st Battalion of the Malawi Rifles (Malawi Army). They were based at what became the headquarters of the Malawi Army atCobbe Barracks,Zomba. Cobbe Barracks had been named in May 1958 in honor of the British GeneralAlexander Cobbe VC, who had served with the King's African Rifles. The Rifles were reportedly at a strength of 2,000 men at independence. On 6 July 1966 Malawi became a Republic andHis Excellency Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda became the first president. After the swearing in ceremony his first duty was to present the battalion with his own presidential colour and the new regimental colour.[4] It was under the leadership of Brigadier Paul Lewis, a British expatriate,[5] and Welsh ColonelDudley Thornton commanded from 1965-67. In 1966, about 60% of the officers in the battalion were formernon-commissioned officers.[6]
After theCabinet Crisis of 1964, the Malawi Army destroyedHenry Chipembere's insurrection inMangochi District andMachinga District in 1965.[5] Another of the ministers ousted during the Cabinet Crisis wasYatuta Chisiza. Chisiza fled to Tanzania, and founded theSocialist League of Malawi, the most radical Malawian opposition party. He also began to conduct guerilla operations against Banda's government. In 1967 Chisiza and nine others enteredMwanza District from Tanzania.[7] In the following clash with the Army and Young Pioneers on 9 October 1967, he and two other members of the insurgent forces were killed, five were captured, and the others fled.[8]
In 1970, the International Institute for Strategic Studies listed the Army as comprising one infantry battalion [1 MR at Zomba] and supporting services, having a strength of 1,150.[9]
Malawi was allied with Portugal during theMozambican War of Independence (1964–74), and the Malawi Army consequently cooperated with thePortuguese Army to secure the Mozambican-Malawian border and arrestFRELIMO rebels. Following FRELIMO's victory and the independence of Mozambique, several Portuguese colonial secret police agents as well as FRELIMO deserters joined the Malawi Army.[10]
Gurkha officer John "Johnny" Clements was advanced to Acting Brigadier in May 1971, and commanded the Malawi Army until September 1972.[11] The Army's first black commander, BrigadierGraciano Matewere was appointed during this time. Banda promoted Matewere instantly to Major General after the resolution of theSouth African Airways hijacking in Blantyre in 1972.[12] Matewere was retired by Banda in 1980 and died in 2001.[13]
DeclassifiedDefense Intelligence Agency reporting from 1985 states that "there is also a military college [likely the Kamuzu Military College, atSalima that is probably one of the finest, most efficiently organized, and operated military training schools in Sub-Saharan Africa. [It] conducts recruit training, numerous enlisted courses, officer cadet courses, [a] platoon leader course, company commanders course (sic), communications courses, NCO courses, a catering course, and will add a staff officers course in the future."[14] The same source listed the Army Commander as GeneralMelvin Khanga, with the deputy commander, Lieutenant GeneralIssac Yohane, and the Director of Training Major GeneralWilfred Mponela.
In 1992-93, the army played a vital role in dismantling Banda's dictatorship.[15]
After the 8 March 1992 pastoral letter:
There were public demonstrations in support of the bishops - notably at the University in Blantyre and Zomba, where soldiers indicated their support for the students and deterred violent police action against the protesters. This was the first sign of the army's future political role. In May 1992 student protesters were joined by striking workers in Blantyre. In two days of riots dozens of protesters were killed by armed police andYoung Pioneers.[16][17]
In December 1992:
..the army intervened to disarm the MYP forcibly. A bar-room argument in ..Mzuzu ended with Young Pioneers shooting two soldiers dead. The middle-ranking and junior officers effectively mutinied against the army commander, GeneralIsaac Yohane, attacking the Ministry of Youth and other MYP installations in Lilongwe, as well as looting the MCP headquarters. The army then moved into MYP bases throughout the country.[16]
The operation was called "Bwezani" which means "taking back" or "returning". This event was vital in the history of the Malawi Army.[15]
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Malawi was a pioneer among African countries with regards to the integration of women into its modern armed forces. Since 1999,[18] women have served as special forces (5% of the Force Intervention Brigade are female), paratroopers,[19] pilots,[20] and medical staff.[21]
State DepartmentInternational Military Education and Training documentation from Fiscal Year 2003 indicates the United States trained army personnel from the 2nd Battalion, Malawi Rifles, probably at Kamuzu Barracks, Lilongwe, 3rd Battalion, Malawi Rifles (Moyale Barracks, Mzuzu), the Parachute Battalion, and the Combat Support Battalion (Mvera).[22]
In July 2004 GeneralJoseph Chimbayo was succeeded byMarko Chiziko. In 2011 General Chiziko was succeeded by Henry Odillo as MDF Commander.[citation needed]
On 5 April 2012 when PresidentBingu wa Mutharika died, there were rumours of an attemptedconstitutional coup intended to prevent vice-presidentJoyce Banda from becoming president as outlined by the constitution.[23] The military, under GeneralHenry Odillo, stepped in and vowed to support and uphold the constitution of Malawi. They reportedly stationed security members at Banda's residence following the news of Mutharika's death.[24] These acts had a direct impact on the transition of power.[23]
Malawi has signed the initial agreements joining theSADC Standby Brigade, the southern African component of theAfrican Standby Force.
TheForce Intervention Brigade of theUnited Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was authorized by theUnited Nations Security Council on 28 March 2013 throughResolution 2098.[25] 2,550 troops were drawn almost equally from Malawi, theTanzania People's Defence Force, and theSouth African National Defence Force.
AfterPeter Mutharika became President in 2014, he replaced the Defence Force commander four times over the course of six years.[26] On August 4, 2014, General Henry Odillo was succeeded by GeneralIgnaious Maulana, the former Chief of Military Operations.[27] In July–August 2016, General Maulana was replaced by his former deputyGriffin Supuni-Phiri.[28] Another change occurred in 2019.[29] In March 2020, General Vincent Nundwe, who had won praise for the army's handling of six months of protests over Mutharika's election victory in the2019 Malawian general elections, was dismissed and replaced by Major GeneralAndrew Lapken Namathanga, the former Air Force commander. Six months later, the new President,Lazarus Chakwera, reinstated Nundwe.[30]
On 14 November 2018, during FIB Rotation VI, an officer, sergeant, corporal, and three soldiers of the MDF were killed in action in the Congo.[31]
| Name | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L118 light gun | United Kingdom | Towed howitzer | 9[32] | ||
| L16 81mm mortar | United Kingdom | Mortar | L16A1 | 82[32] | |
| ZPU | Soviet Union | Towed anti-aircraft gun | ZPU-4 | 40[32] |
The Malawi Air Force was established with German help in 1976 with the delivery of six single-enginedDornier Do 27s and eightDo 28 light twins in 1976-1980. Also in the same era the air force received anAlouette III, anAS 350 and anAS 355 Ecureuil, as well as threeSA 330 H/L Puma Helicopters from France. A singleBAe 125-800 was delivered in 1986. FourDornier 228 light twin turbo props were acquired between 1986 and 1989 in part to allow disposal of the older Dornier products. In 1990 twoDouglas C-47 with PT6A turboprops were delivered from the US.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | ||||||
| Xian MA600 | China | transport | 2[33] | |||
| Dornier 228 | Germany | transport | 1[33] | Onecrashed in June 2024.[34] | ||
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Eurocopter AS350 | France | light utility | 2[33] | |||
| Eurocopter AS355 | France | utility | 1[33] | |||
| Eurocopter AS532 | France | transport | 1[33] | |||
| Aérospatiale Gazelle | France | scout /anti-armor | SA341 | 2[33] | ||
| Aérospatiale SA330 | France | utility | 2[33] | |||
Previous aircraft that have been placed in storage or removed from service include theBasler BT-67, theDornier Do27-A, theBritish Aerospace 125, theKing Air 90,AS365 Dauphin, and theAlouette III.[35][36]
As a landlocked country, Malawi has a very small Navy with no sizeable military craft. Malawi's naval force only operates onLake Malawi and is based atMonkey Bay. The Malawi Navy was organized in the early 1970s, with the help of theNavy of Portugal that ceded part of its boats of the Nyassa Flotilla operating from the thenPortuguese province of Mozambique.[37] In some cases, the gunboats of the Malawian Navy were initially crewed by Portuguese.[10] In 2007, the navy had 220 personnel,[37] and operated the following vessels:
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