Zambian President Lungu Says He May Declare State of Emergency
- Public buildings burned after opposition leader’s arrest
- Political tensions have been high since 2016 elections
Zambian police officers patrol outside a courtroom during the hearing of the leader of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) in Lusaka on April 18, 2017.
Photographer: DAWOOD SALIM/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Zambia’s president said he may declare a state of emergency in Africa’s second-biggest copper producer because of turmoil following the arrest of the nation’s main opposition leader on treason charges.
“Why are they burning markets? Why are they burning court houses? Why are they burning government buildings?” Edgar Lungu said in a speech in Livingstone, southern Zambia, that was broadcast on his Facebook page. “If you force us to call a state of emergency we will go that way.”