The Lilongwe City Council has asked the organiser of an anti-violence demonstration to attend a meeting scheduled for the eve of the planned protest.

“I write to invite you to a stakeholders’ meeting at the Council Chamber,” wrote Lilongwe District Commissioner Lowford Palani in a letter to Alfred Gangata. “Your presence [at] this meeting is highly appreciated.”

Gangata, the Central Region Vice President of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), had notified the council on Monday of plans to hold a peaceful protest on Friday, July 4, in Lilongwe. He said the demonstration is “in response to increasing acts of violence and intimidation that have undermined citizens’ right to peaceful assembly.”

“Our message is simple: to stand against violence and to affirm every Malawian’s constitutional right to peaceful protest and expression,” Gangata said. “The demonstration will be peaceful, law-abiding, and respectful of all authorities.”

Concerns are growing over the government’s handling of political violence. On June 26, a demonstration organized by Citizens for Credible Elections (CCE) was violently disrupted by unidentified assailants wielding weapons. Police reportedly stood by as protestors, including CCE executive director Sylvester Namiwa, were beaten. Namiwa sustained injuries and was treated at a local hospital.

In response to the attack, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Malawian authorities to protect citizens’ rights and ensure trust in the electoral process ahead of the September elections.

“For Malawians to have confidence in the fairness of the upcoming elections, they need to be sure the police will respond promptly and impartially to threats or acts of violence,” said Idriss Ali Nassah, HRW’s senior Africa researcher. He added that those responsible must be identified and “appropriately punished.”