Malawi's vice president laid to rest as president calls for an independent probe into his death

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima was laid to rest Monday in his village south of the capital, following a funeral where President Lazarus Chakwera called for an independent probe into his death in a plane crash.

Chilima and nine other people died in the plane crash last week in Malawi's northern region of Mzimba.

The state funeral was held at the Bingu Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Sunday, where Chakwera and other dignitaries paid their final respects to the late vice president.

In his address, Chakwera called for an independent investigation into the crash.

"Our tears are about the desire to know what delayed the search for this plane. … I would like to assure you, Malawians, that this accident will be investigated by an independent expert,” Chakwera said amid boos and jeers from the crowd.

Hundreds of soldiers, police officers and forest rangers had searched for more than 24 hours before the wreckage was discovered in a forest plantation south of Mzuzu.

The plane was on a short flight from Lilongwe to the northern city of Mzuzu when it went missing last Monday morning. Chakwera had said earlier that air traffic controllers had told the plane not to land in Mzuzu because of bad weather and poor visibility and to return to Lilongwe. Air traffic controllers then lost contact with the plane.

Chakwera on Sunday called for unity and patience as the investigations continued, saying, “We need answers, but we must remain calm and supportive of each other during this difficult time.”

He said that the Malawi Defense Force cannot conduct an investigation “that can be credible on its own, which is why we need an independent investigation.” He did not elaborate.

The military rendered a 19-gun salute as the body was laid to rest, followed by a long trumpet post and reveille.

Those who laid wreaths included Chakwera, all of Malawi’s three former presidents and Chilima’s wife, children and relatives.

The Chilima family also called for an independent probe.

“We are grateful to the pathologists who carried out tests to ascertain the deaths, but there is need for a thorough investigation on what exactly happened. Such a probe is important to ensure that such an accident does not happen again,” said Ben Chilima, the late vice-president’s brother.

In another tragic accident, four people died at the funeral on Sunday when a vehicle crashed into bystanders, authorities said.

The wife of Malawian Vice President Mary Chilima, weeps at the burial service for Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima in Nsipe, Malawi, Monday, June 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)

Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, lays a wreath at the burial service for Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima in Nsipe, Malawi, Monday, June 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)

The clergy conduct a burial service for Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima in Nsipe, Malawi, Monday, June 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)

Mourners attend the burial service for Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima in Nsipe, Malawi, Monday, June 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)

Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, lays a wreath at the burial service for Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima in Nsipe, Malawi, Monday, June 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)

AACHEN, Germany (AP) — Hundreds of curious shoppers, some equipped with camping stools and rain gear, lined up for hours on a drizzly Thursday in the western German city of Aachen. They weren't waiting for the latest phone or luxury handbag release: they were after a taste of a new chocolate bar.

Swiss chocolate giant Lindt has drawn the crowds with a new treat — a confection known as “Dubai chocolate” that features a crunchy mixture of chocolate, pistachio cream and knafeh, a crispy filo dough that is better known for its use in baklava.

Lindt executives want to show the nearly 180-year-old Swiss chocolatier can mix it up with a product first concocted by an Emirati upstart and expand the boundaries of a centuries-old industry largely dominated by European companies.

“It’s a hype, a trend on social media, with people waiting in long lines,” said Zi Cheng Lai, 23, student from Malaysia, after exiting the Lindt store in Aachen on Thursday. “We want to try it out here and be part of it.”

After crossing a rope line to enter the Lindt store, Lai and others were welcomed by staffers in white cooks’ outfits and matching chef hats who held out sample squares of chocolate. They could then move on into the store to buy a single bar per person — each bearing a unique number, to add a flavor of exclusivity.

The sweet treats were first introduced in 2021 by startup FIX Dessert Chocolatier in the United Arab Emirates. They have since grown in popularity, helped by influencers on Instagram and TikTok.

Lindt on Saturday began releasing a limited number of 1,000 of the novel chocolate bars in select shops in Germany. A similar campaign is set to start this weekend in Switzerland, after a reported outcry in the Alpine country that the Swiss were being left out.

ChocoSuisse, an industry association, is hopeful that the fusion of Middle Eastern treats and traditional chocolate will make chocolate more appealing to palates beyond Europe, the world’s biggest chocolate market for many generations.

“It’s a good thing if more people start to like chocolate and regularly eat chocolate — it expands the market in places like Asia and the Middle East,” said Roger Wehrli, the director of ChocoSuisse, which counts most of the Swiss industrial chocolate makers as members.

The patrons generally seemed satisfied at the Aachen shop, even at a relatively high price of 14.99 euros (about $15.85) per bar. Some said they just wanted to be part of the trend.

“It’s juicy inside but also crunchy -- I think it’s the strands of the angel hair,” said 20-year-old student Esko Rieck, who raved about the treat's texture after waiting for more than three hours to get inside. “I’m here because I’ve never been at such a release event, and I wanted to experience the release of a limited edition.”

Thai student Thanapon Kunlawatwimon, 26, got hold of bar number 429 out of the 1,000. “It’s like, ‘OK, I finally got it.’ So I’m happy now.”

Associated Press Writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

People queue outside a Lindt chocolate shop to buy limited bars of 'Dubai Chocolate', in Aachen, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Niemann)

Student Esko Rieck poses with a bag containing a limited bar of 'Dubai Chocolate' after he bought it in the Lindt chocolate shop, in Aachen, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Niemann)

A bar of the limited 'Dubai Chocolate' lays on a table at a Lindt chocolate shop, in Aachen, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Niemann)

Service employees offer "Dubai Chocolate" in a Lindt shop to customers, during the sell of limited bars of the Chocolate in Aachen, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Niemann)

People queue outside of a Lindt chocolate shop to buy limited bars 'Dubai Chocolate', in Aachen, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Niemann)

Service employees offer "Dubai Chocolate" in a Lindt shop to customers during the sell of limited bars of the Chocolate, in Aachen, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Niemann)