LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s military procurement and national security institutions are facing renewed scrutiny following investigative revelations linking a massive military equipment order, suspicious cargo aircraft movements and an alleged international arms trafficking operation involving Kenya, Malawi and Chad.
Local media reports indicate that a Malawi Defence Force (MDF) end-user certificate listed 60,000 assault rifles, 15,000 machine guns, artillery equipment, missiles and 90 million rounds of ammunition, ostensibly intended for the Ministry of Defence.
The revelations have intensified scrutiny of retired General Paul Valentino Phiri, the former MDF Commander, who was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on October 1, 2026, over five criminal counts relating to alleged abuse of office and dealing in terrorist property. The charges concern suspected illegal arms trafficking activities between June and July 2025, when he was still heading the military.
The weapons certificate and questions over its authenticity
A scanned end-user certificate dated June 18, 2025, reportedly identifies the intended recipient of the listed military equipment as the Malawi Defence Force.
The document identifies Jabari Industries Limited, a company with an address in Nairobi, Kenya, as the exporter, while the signature is attributed to Brigadier General L.E. Mwase, bearing the designation “For Commander”.
The certificate also states that the military equipment was intended for MDF use and could not be transferred or re-exported without written permission from Malawi’s state export control service.
However, questions remain about the document’s authenticity, its approval through official export-control procedures and its precise relationship to the weapons transaction under investigation.
Importantly, the investigative findings do not establish that Jabari Industries manufactured, supplied or transported the listed weapons, or that the company knew of any alleged diversion.
Neither does the certificate constitute a cargo manifest or proof of delivery. The available documentation does not independently establish that the listed quantities were purchased, imported into Malawi or transported to Chad or Sudan.
Cargo aircraft movements under investigation
A central feature of the investigation is an Airbus A321-200 cargo aircraft registered SU-SKG, identified in the ACB case as the aircraft allegedly used in the transportation arrangements.
Aviation records identify the aircraft’s serial number as 1707 and its operator as Sky Vision Airlines. The aircraft was converted from passenger to cargo configuration in March 2024 before entering service the following year.
An analysis of FlightRadar24 tracking data covering July 4 to August 14, 2025, identified 33 recorded flights involving the aircraft across several routes connecting Cairo, Mombasa, Lilongwe and N’Djamena.
The aircraft was recorded arriving at Mombasa’s Moi International Airport on July 5, 2025, before making repeated journeys between Kenya and Malawi.
On July 9, it flew from Mombasa to Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, remaining in Malawi for approximately three hours before returning to Kenya.
Further flight records show repeated movements between the two cities during the following days, with individual journeys taking approximately one hour and 50 minutes.
11 flights between Malawi and Chad
The aircraft’s movements subsequently shifted towards a concentrated series of flights between Lilongwe and N’Djamena, Chad’s capital.
The flight-tracking analysis identified approximately 11 journeys connecting the two airports during the second half of July 2025, with individual flights covering approximately 3,500 to 3,600 kilometres.
On July 22, for example, SU-SKG departed Lilongwe in the morning and arrived in N’Djamena at approximately 2pm UTC before returning to Malawi later that evening.
A similar journey occurred on July 24, when the aircraft travelled from Lilongwe to N’Djamena before returning to Kamuzu International Airport.
The aircraft eventually departed Lilongwe for Cairo on July 30, completing a flight lasting approximately seven hours.
Although these movements provide a detailed picture of the aircraft’s travel pattern, the available flight-tracking information does not establish the identity of the charterer, the commercial arrangements behind the journeys or the contents of the aircraft.
What the prosecution alleges
The ACB’s five-count case against Phiri centres on his alleged involvement in facilitating the movement of military equipment through Malawi.
According to the prosecution’s allegations, the former military commander helped arrange an end-user certificate dated June 18, 2025, which presented the Malawi Defence Force as the intended recipient of military equipment allegedly destined for rebel forces in Sudan.
The second allegation concerns instructions allegedly issued to subordinate military officers to facilitate the clearance of aircraft SU-SKG at Kamuzu International Airport on the representation that it was carrying equipment for the MDF.
Another count concerns the alleged unilateral procurement of military equipment on behalf of the MDF, contrary to established public procurement procedures.
The remaining allegations relate to the alleged concealment of property received from Kenya at the Malawi Air Cargo warehouse in Lilongwe and arrangements to facilitate its subsequent movement from Malawi to Chad.
The allegations have placed military procurement controls, airport cargo handling procedures and the oversight of sensitive international shipments under intense public scrutiny.
Court proceedings hit a setback
The criminal proceedings against Phiri encountered an early setback on November 12, 2026, when the prosecution informed the Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court that it was not ready to proceed with the case.
According to local media reports, Phiri had appeared at the court in Area 3 expecting the commencement of the substantive hearing, but proceedings did not get underway following the prosecution’s indication that it was unprepared.
His lawyer, Powell Nkhutabasa, confirmed that the prosecution was not ready to proceed but declined to provide further details.
Phiri was previously granted bail on a K10 million cash bond, with two sureties bonded at K20 million each. His bail conditions also require him to report to the police monthly and obtain ACB approval before travelling outside Malawi.
The November 12 development means the substantive proceedings have yet to begin, leaving the allegations awaiting determination by the courts.
Aviation expert raises regulatory concerns
Aviation expert Sean Mendis has questioned the commercial rationale behind the repeated cargo flights between Malawi and Chad, particularly given the limited regular air connections between the two countries.
Mendis said Malawi’s regulatory environment could potentially expose the country to exploitation by operators involved in illicit cargo transportation.
“Malawi has been used as a transshipment cover for a long time,” he said, warning that jurisdictions with weak regulatory oversight could be vulnerable to illegal arms transfers.
He further argued that irregular cargo routes deserved additional scrutiny, although the aircraft’s movements alone did not establish that it was carrying illicit weapons.
His assessment has renewed attention on the effectiveness of Malawi’s aviation monitoring systems, customs procedures and export-control safeguards.
Wider regional security implications
The alleged weapons trafficking operation has potentially serious regional security implications because of the continuing conflict in Sudan and concerns over the movement of military equipment across international borders.
The investigation also raises questions about the effectiveness of regional cooperation in monitoring arms transfers, verifying end-user certificates and preventing the diversion of military equipment to unauthorised recipients.
A separate investigation has also identified SU-SKG among aircraft recorded flying between Cairo and Port Sudan in June 2026.
However, those flight records do not establish what the aircraft carried or demonstrate that the later movements were connected to the alleged 2025 operation.
For Malawi, the emerging revelations underscore the importance of strengthening oversight of military procurement, aviation security, customs clearance and the handling of sensitive cargo passing through national infrastructure.
The authorities will also face questions about whether existing safeguards were followed and whether any institutional weaknesses allowed the alleged transportation arrangements to take place.
As the ACB case awaits substantive court proceedings, the central questions remain whether the end-user certificate was properly authorised, what cargo was actually transported aboard SU-SKG, who arranged the shipments and whether any military equipment was diverted to unauthorised recipients.
Phiri has not been convicted of any offence and remains entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court.
Leave a Reply