LILONGWE, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government said Thursday the U.S. Ambassador to Malawi, Virginia Palmer, is safe after Malawi police fired tear gas at opposition party headquarters amid the ambassador's meeting with opposition leader, Lazarus Chakwera.
An official statement from the U.S. Embassy in Malawi released Thursday night confirmed that Palmer had gone to the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) offices located next to the U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe to bid farewell to the opposition leader when the incident occurred.
The statement signed by the Embassy's Public Relations Officer, Douglas Johnston, said the U.S. ambassador had had similar meetings with senior Malawian government officials and leaders of the major political parties all week, as she prepares to depart Malawi.
"Malawian police deployed tear gas to disperse MCP supporters at MCP HQ while Ambassador Palmer was meeting with Dr. Chakwera," reads the statement, adding: "Nobody was targeting the U.S. Ambassador. We confirm that she is safe and in no danger."
The incident follows continuing protests by the MCP followers since the Malawi Electoral Commission declared the incumbent president Peter Mutharika winner of the May 21 presidential polls in the country.
Chakwera has filed a petition to the country's high court seeking nullification of the presidential results claiming the election was rigged.
The U.S government has since called for restraint on all sides while the High Court hears MCP's case and resolves electoral disputes.
"Malawi's democracy and peacefulness are critical to its international reputation and prosperity," says the U.S Government's statement in conclusion.
Malawi Police Spokesperson, James Kadadzera, had earlier told the media that the police "were not aware of the U.S. ambassador's presence at the MCP Headquarters" when they fired the teargas.
"We did not know in the first place that the Ambassador was there; we only knew it later," said the police spokesperson.
He added: "We were dealing with a volatile situation where people believed to be MCP supporters were rioting and in trying to calm the situation, we fired teargas to disperse them from the party's Headquarters."
Three people were reported injured during the fracas and, according to local media reports, one of the victims was shot on the ear and he, together with the other two were referred to the country's central referral hospital in the capital.
Following the incident, the police have so far arrested MCP legislator and 17 supporters of the party "for inciting violence."
