Key facts
- Zambian authorities arrested 11 people, including opposition leader Brian Mundubile, alleging an insurrection plot.
Zambian authorities have arrested 11 people, including senior opposition figures and presidential candidate Brian Mundubile, alleging they were involved in an insurrection plot. Mundubile claims the raid was an assassination attempt and that colleagues were shot.
The arrests of prominent opposition figures and allegations of an insurrection plot raise significant concerns about political stability and the integrity of the electoral process in Zambia, particularly following a closely contested presidential election.
Security forces in Zambia have arrested 11 people, including senior opposition figures and presidential candidate Brian Mundubile, alleging they were involved in an insurrection plot. The government stated that high-grade military weapons, ammunition, and materials intended for an armed insurrection were seized during a raid in the capital, Lusaka.
Brian Mundubile, who is trailing incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema in the ongoing vote count, described the raid as an assassination attempt and claimed that colleagues were shot in his presence. He had previously alleged electoral irregularities and military involvement at tallying centers. Authorities denied claims of assault while Mundubile was in custody.
Zambia's electoral commission had briefly suspended the vote counting process on Friday due to violence against polling staff and the theft of marked ballot papers, but lifted the suspension later the same day, stating the security threat had been contained. The government also alleged that the arrested individuals were connected to military plans involving foreign nationals and illegal training camps, posing a serious threat to state security.