18 killed in Malawi unrest

PRETORIA, July 22 (Itar-Tass) -- At least eighteen people were killed
in two days of police crackdown on opposition demanding President Bingu wa
Mutharika to resign.
Unrest in the capital of Lilongwe and several other cities resulted in
pogroms, burglaries and clashes with police.
Health Ministry spokesman Henry Chimbali confirmed 18 deaths and said
22 people were wounded and injured.
National army units were deployed in Lilongwe and Blantyre to restore
order.
The opposition accused the president of poor management and violations
of human rights. The country badly lacks foreign currency and remained
practically without fuel as a result.
Mutharika said he was not going to step down. "Stop the riots and
let's sit down to discuss," he said in a radio address. "I have a
responsibility, based on the powers vested in me by the constitution, to
bring law and order," the president said.