Human rights advocates in the country have appealed to the Malawi Police Service-MPS to follow a court order that declared sweeping exercises as unlawful, saying continued failure to follow the order is a violation of human rights.

The appeal is coming at a time the police continue conducting the exercises, with the latest happening some four days ago in Balaka where about 13 people were arrested during the exercise.

Chairperson for Human Rights Consultative Committee-HRCC Robert Mkwezalamba says the organisation will engage Malawi Human Rights Commission-MHRC and Centre for Human Rights Education Advise and Assistance-Chrea on the Balaka issue.

But, National Police Deputy Public Relations Officer Harry Namwanza said the arrests in Balaka district were legal and that police will continue conducting intelligence-driven sweeping exercises.

Meanwhile, one of the parties that challenged police’s use of sweeping exercise in court, Southern Africa Litigation Centre-SALC, through Lawyer Chikondi Chijozi, says they will take legal action against the police on the Balaka sweeping exercise issue.