How did international donors pressure Malawi’s government to accept political reform in 1992?

In 1992, international donors pressured the government of Malawi to accept political reform by withholding financial aid.12

This external economic pressure coincided with growing domestic unrest, notably sparked by a pastoral letter from Catholic bishops that highlighted concerns regarding human rights and poverty. These combined factors emboldened opposition groups to demand a transition toward multiparty democracy. Facing this mounting pressure, the regime of Hastings Kamuzu Banda eventually agreed to hold a national referendum on political reform, which led to the end of the one-party state and the country's first free elections in over 30 years in 1994.123