POLITICS-ZAMBIA: Bomb Blasts Rock Capital City

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Fred Chela

LUSAKA, Mar 1 1999 (IPS) - Fourteen bomb blasts rocked the Zambian capital of Lusaka Sunday, causing panic and leading to the government to call on the United States to help with investigations.

One of the explosions went off at the Angolan Embassy, killing a security guard. Another person was injured.

The blasts began in the early hours of Sunday morning before dawn and ended almost 12 hours later. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Security was heightened on Monday throughout Lusaka and the country’s armed forces have been placed on full alert.

Zambia’s Minister of Information and chief government spokesman Newstead Zimba, in a nationwide radio and television broadcast Sunday evening, accused what he described as “managers of death”, of wanting to destabilise the Southern African nation.

He labelled the bomb attacks as acts of aggression and warned: “The defence and security have been put on alert to deal with any acts of terrorism, whether by Zambians or foreigners.”

“We want to continue to be an island of peace and bridge builders of peace in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and not to be merchants of death,” Zimba said.

The intention of the blasts, the Minister of Information added, was to destablise the nation and cause despondency.

The bombs destroyed electricity pylons and the main water supply was blown up, causing severe power cuts and water shortages. By midnight Sunday, most residential areas were still without water and electricity.

“These acts of terrorism will be met with stern action and security preparedness orders have been issued…I am appealing to all Zambians and foreigners to stay away from streets, especially at night…and (they) must prepare for any eventuality,” Zimba said although he did not elaborate.

The government spokesman also did not declare a state of emergency.

According to Zimba, Zambia has asked US bomb experts to come and investigate the type of explosives used.

Tentative preliminary investigations by the Zambian police bomb disposal experts have revealed that the bombs were of the same type.

Police spokesman Alex Chilufya said more than five others were defused. He added that the blasts had caused devastating damage to property, spanning across the entire breadth of the city from east to west, and north to south.

Although the Zambian government has not pointed fingers at any one for the attack, opposition groups in the country were quick to call for the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) to resign.

Chief among these included the former Zambian leader, Kenneth Kaunda, the National Citizens Coalition President, Nervers Mumba, and the Agenda for Zambia President, Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika.

“We cannot wait till the year 2001 for the next elections,” they said in a joint statement.

Zambia has been in the thick of regional conflicts in neighbouring Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Angola and President Frederick Chiluba’s government have been at odds over allegations that Zambia has provided military and logistical support to the Angolan rebels, the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).

Zambian authorities have denied the claim.

President Chiluba also has been shuttling throughout the region to resolve the conflict in the DRC. But he has yet to bring those countries involved in the war to a lasting solution.

Following his recent visit to Rwanda, one of the countries accused of being the “invaders” by the DRC government of Laurent Kabila, Chiluba convened an emergency meeting of the Zambian cabinet.

“No military solution was possible for the DRC, ” he reportedly told the meeting.