The Malawian Police said on Saturday that four protesters have been charged with the murder of a policeman who was stoned to death during clashes between pro- and anti-government demonstrators outside the capital Lilongwe.

A wave of protests which has gripped Malawi since disputed elections in May, and Superintendent Usumani Imedi was killed on Tuesday trying to restore order as violence erupted at Msundwe, a trading outpost west of the capital.

The clashes broke out as a group of protesters attempted to stop supporters of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party from travelling to President Peter Mutharika’s first rally in the city since his election win.

Police spokesman James Kadadzera told AFP that four anti-government protesters were charged with murder on Friday: Frank Mastone, 28, Kondwani Chisindo, 23, Godfrey Banda, 30, and Licktone Mtiche, 30.

Forty others were also arrested by the Police following Imedi’s death and charged them for endangering the lives of road users.

Except one juvenile, all the suspects, appeared before a magistrate in Lilongwe on Friday.

Protesters have been demanding the resignation of electoral body chief Jane Ansah for her handling of the election, since the May vote, which the opposition says was marred by irregularities.

Many of the protests have descended into violence and numerous anti-government protesters and civil society leaders have been jailed.

Timothy Mtambo, a protest leader from the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, was shot at while driving home on Friday night.

“The bullets burst the back tyre and front tyre on the driver’s side but he managed to control the car and he drove to safety,” Mtambo’s colleague Reverend MacDonald told AFP.

“It shouldn’t be happening in a democracy where tolerance and dissenting views are the benchmarks.”

US and Foreign embassies including Britain, Ireland, Germany, Japan, Norway have condemned the spate of violence that has gripped the southern African nation since the election.

Rupert Colville, the UN rights agency’s spokesman joined in the calls on Friday, urging “meaningful dialogue” and restraint from security forces and protesters.

“We remind the Malawian authorities of their obligation to respect the rights of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and to distinguish between violent actors and peaceful demonstrators,” Coleville said.