Malawians loot foreigners' shops amid tension

A Rwandan woman has told the BBC that her shop was looted in the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, in xenophobic violence that flared up amid political tension in the country.

She said that she and other Rwandans and Burundians had fled to Dzaleka camp outside Lilongwe for safety.

The violence follows the Constitutional Court’s cancellation on Monday of last May’s election results.

“We were expecting xenophobic attacks on Monday but we thought it wasn’t going to be this bad,” the Rwandan shop owner said.

She said the looters came in a mob and had taken advantage of the political uncertainty to attack foreigners and take their belongings.

Vice-President Saulos Chilima condemned the attacks, saying they were “unacceptable” and had to stop immediately”.