Anthony Kunda
Zambia’s government has warned Lusaka residents to avoid being on the streets at night and is beefing up its armed forces, following seven bomb blasts in the city this week.
The warning came in the face of mounting accusations by the Angolan government of Zambian involvement in gun-running for Jonas Savimbi’s Unita forces in Angola.
The bombs initially saw the Zambian authorities shocked and disbelieving. Four bombs went off in residential areas, two at a water treatment plant in Chilanga, one in the commercial district and others at the foot of electricity pylons east of Lusaka.
The Angolan embassy was also damaged by an explosion. After touring the damaged building, President Frederick Chiluba said: “We may have clues, but for now we will leave it to experts to investigate.”
Zambian Minister of Information Newstead Zimba would not lay blame on any group. But Minister of Legal Affairs Vincent Malambo said: “From our point of view and preliminary analysis, this looks like the work of an external force, an external enemy. ”
Chiluba said at a press conference: “Zambian politics have never known violence. We are not at war with anybody and therefore we shall not allow anybody to export violence to Zambia … We are not declaring war on anybody, but we can defend ourselves.”
The army and the air force are on full alert and security in Lusaka has been tightened.
There has been no official communication from the Angolan government to the Zambian government on the bombing.
Accusations of Zambian government involvement in gun-running for Unita surfaced in January. The government challenged Angola to provide evidence. But when an Angolan delegation flew to Lusaka to present the evidence publicly, Zambian officials prevailed on them not to do so.
Two weeks later, Angolan foreign minister Venancio de Moura sent a memorandum to Zambian foreign minister Keli Walubita, naming among government leaders involved in gunning-running Minister of Energy Ben Mwila and Vice-President Lieutenant General Christon Tembo.
Moura said his government has evidence of “direct support of the Zambian government led by the vice-president through the intelligence services of this country”.
Tembo has dismissed the accusations as groundless.
At a Southern African Development Community meeting last month, Chiluba said: “Zambia has neither the capacity nor the will to be involved in the military destabilisation of Angola. And I have no doubt that when independent investigators have done their work, we will be vindicated.”
But the vindication has been long in coming and the accusations are still running hot. There appears to be considerable difficulty in arranging a meeting between Chiluba and Angolan President Jos Eduardo dos Santos.
This week the Zambian Parliament, during a debate for estimates of expenditure for the defence ministry, endorsed increased funding to modernise the army. Backbench MP Simasiku Namakando said Zambia is surrounded by countries with big armies.
“Modern war needs to be fought with modern weapons. Our neighbours like Angola have the most sophisticated equipment.”
Zimba said: “Zambians must prepare for any eventuality. Government will do its utmost to render the necessary protection to lives and property. People will have to co-operate with security officers. And from now onwards people must try to avoid being on the streets at night.”
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