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Malawi: Information regarding the relationship between the Nkholde and Chewa ethnic groups

The Chewa ethnic group is the numerically dominant group in the central region of Malawi. [

FootnoteS:

 George T. Kurian, Encyclopedia of the Third World, Third Edition, vol.II, (New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1987), p.1245.] The Nkholde (Ngonde) who live in the extreme north of Malawi between the Songwe River and the lower reaches of the north Rukuru river are related to the Nyakusa, Lambya and Sukwa of northern Malawi. [ibid.] The Nyanja, Chewa, Tonga, and Tumbuka are related and collectively referred to as the Maravi, making up 58.3% of Malawi's population. [1989 Britannica Book of the Year, (Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 1989), p.649. Attached.]

Although George T. Kurian (1987) states that inter-ethnic relations are characterized by tolerance and flexibility, [ibid. p.1245.] the New African addresses the issue of the double standard employed in Malawi: the government reportedly discriminates in favour of Nyanja speakers from the central and southern regions. [ "Pogroms Against Northerners", New African, (London: IC Publications, November 1989), p.20.]

The attached article speaks of the president's long-standing "aversion" to the people of the north. As retaliation for the north's alleged support for a leading exiled opposition figure, Banda has reportedly "unleashed brutal repression" upon northerners. [ibid.]

Please consult the attached article for more information regarding the treatment of northerners. A map locating the ethnic groups of Malawi is included from: L'état du Monde, édition 1985, Paris: La Découverte, 1985, p.338.

Topics: Ethnic persecution, Ethnic discrimination,