Zambia arrests top opposition members, alleging armed insurrection

Open this photo in gallery:People sit outside an election campaign office with posters of National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity member of parliament candidate and presidential candidate Brian Mundubile in Lusaka, Zambia, on Aug. 10.GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty ImagesAfter days of secrecy, Zambia’s government has confirmed that it arrested many of the country’s most senior opposition politicians on the night of its national election, accusing them of involvement in an armed insurrection plot with foreign links.Zambian police arrested the politicians in a raid on the home of the main opposition candidate, Brian Mundubile, who said the allegations of an armed insurrection were completely false and must be retracted.The government said the police made the arrests Thursday night, just hours after voting stations had closed, but it did not acknowledge the arrests until Sunday night, when it issued a brief statement.“Some of the individuals involved were connected to military plans involving foreign nationals and illegal military training camps, thus posing a serious threat to state security,” Cabinet Secretary Patrick Kangwa said in the statement.“The individuals in issue were found in possession of high-grade military weapons, ammunition and other materials for use in armed insurrection,” he said.Vote-counting resumes in Zambia after suspension caused by reports of violenceHe listed six prominent politicians among the 11 people who were arrested and said it was “important to mention” that Mr. Mundubile was “also found on the scene.”Mr. Kangwa said there was an exchange of fire after people in the house fired shots at the police. But opposition politicians said it was the police who broke into the house and shot first, seriously injuring a former transport minister, Mutotwe Kafwaya.“We do not support violence, nor do we support any attempt to overthrow the constitutional order of our country,” Mr. Mundubile said, denying the existence of any militia in his political party.“These are grave allegations with serious consequences for those named and for our country as a whole,” he said in a statement.Mr. Kafwaya’s family, speaking to Zambian media, said they are living in anguish and uncertainty because they haven’t seen him since the police raid and don’t know where he is.Zambia votes in presidential election that tests incumbent’s economic reformsOther arrests have reportedly begun. Lukas Simumba, a newly elected member of parliament, told local media that the police had detained him. The government also alleged that Jonas Zimba, a lawyer who has worked for the opposition, had tried to cross the border into Zimbabwe illegally and had fled from immigration officials when they approached him.President Hakainde Hichilema, first elected in 2021, is heading for a comfortable victory in the election, according to results released Monday from about 85 per cent of constituencies. He has 2.43 million votes – about 61 per cent of the total − while Mr. Mundubile has 1.46 million, the electoral commission said.The opposition fared better in many parliamentary seats, defeating a number of ruling-party members.Zambia has a reputation as one of Africa’s most democratic countries, holding multiparty elections regularly since 1991, with opposition parties often winning and taking power peacefully.During the campaign leading up to Thursday’s vote, however, several opposition rallies were disrupted or blocked by police and rock-throwing supporters of the ruling party.Tear gas and campaign violence cast shadow on Zambia’s electionOn Friday, the electoral commission suspended its vote count for six hours, citing security problems and threats of violence. Civil society groups and election observers voiced concern at the suspension.The European Union’s election observer mission, in a preliminary statement on the weekend, said the vote was marred by campaign restrictions and violence that had weakened Zambia’s democratic rights.“Key incumbency advantages blurred the line between state and political campaigning, creating an uneven playing field,” the EU observers said. “State-owned media was heavily biased towards the ruling party.”The electoral commission had introduced a campaign calendar for presidential candidates, with the aim of reducing the risk of violence, but Mr. Hichilema was exempted from the calendar, while his opponents were restricted in their movement and ability to campaign, the observers said.Amnesty International, in a report last week, said Zambia has suffered “an alarming regression into authoritarian practices.” Opposition activists and journalists have been targeted by repressive laws, intimidation and surveillance, it said.Western investors are watching Zambia’s election closely because the country is one of the world’s biggest copper producers. Canadian mining companies First Quantum Minerals Ltd. and Barrick Mining Corp. are among the biggest investors in the country.