Operation Sunrise (Nyasaland) Operation Sunrise (Nyasaland) Operation Sunrise was the name given to a police and military action conducted by the authorities in the Central African protectorate of Nyasaland (now known as Malawi) which started on the 3rd March 1959, initially to detain and intern 350 individuals who were considered a potential threat to law and order. Although it is sometimes considered to involve only the incidents of 3rd March, the Devlin Commission report is clear that it was one of two distinct operations by the security forces, reinforced from outside Nyasaland, involving the arrest and detention members of the Nyasaland African Congress,
Nyasaland Emergency 1959 the banned Nyasaland African Congress in August 1959 and rapidly grew into a larger mass-movement than Congress had been. By the end of 1959, the new Colonial Secretary, Iain MacLeod realised that he would have to negotiate with Banda, and that such negotiations would involve ending the Emergency, releasing the remaining detainees and Nyasaland's eventual withdrawal from the Federation. Armitage strongly resisted Macleod's proposals, particularly the release of Banda and other former Congress leaders, and it was unlikely that he would be able to negotiate effectively with Banda on constitutional progress. Because of his strong opposition to the release of