NYASALAND QUIET

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28833, 2 March 1959, Page 11

NYASALAND QUIET

I Troops Free Airstrip ! (N.Z. Press Association—Copvrlohti L (Rec. 10 p.m.) ' BLANTYRE (Nyasaland) ■ Feb. 28. | Nyasaland' was reported f quiet today after yesterday’s s flare-up at Chigaru, north of I Blantyre, when one African I eras killed. I Troops of the 2nd King’s African I Rifles opened fire on about 200 I Africans, armed with iron bars I and sticks, who tried to storm the I Court house at Chigaru in an I attempt to release prisoners. I An official statement today said la police patrol saw the 200 I Africans demonstrating outside the I Court of African Authority where I two officials of the African I National Congress were charged. I The crowd became violent and I was ordered to disperse, the statement added. The Africans refused to do so and attempted to release the two prisoners. Tear gas was used and the riot proclamation was read out. _ The crowd remained violent and ~ security forces opened fire. Four rounds were fired and three persons in the crowd were-injured. One had since died in hospital. ' Tanganyika police today freed the Fort Hill airstrip, in Northern . Nyasaland, which had been held * by African rioters since February The rioters had used rocks and petrol drums to block the airstrip, the' only one in the whole of Nyasaland's Northern Province capable of taking large troopcarrying aircraft A Government spokesman said no incidents occurred during the operation, which was arranged between' the Nyasaland and Tanganyika Governments. J In Salisbury today, four Africans were arrested for distributing pamphlets calling on Africans to take strike action. Territorial forces in Northern Rhodesia are to be called up on March 3, the Federal Ministry of Defence announced tonight