Some civil society organisations (CSOs) and individuals have called on the government of Zambia to end attacks on human rights.

The 29 CSOs, including Chapter One Foundation, Amnesty International, Southern African Human Rights’ Defenders Network, Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, Pan-African Lawyers Union, and SADC Lawyers Association, made the call on the back of the killing of prosecutor Nsama Nsama and UPND member Joseph Kaunda.

Development Diaries gathered that Nsama, a state prosecutor who was buying a meal at a restaurant across his office, and Kaunda, who was walking nearby, were killed after police fired live ammunition to disperse supporters during a peaceful solidarity gathering.

The supporters, it was learnt, had gathered to offer solidarity to the leader of United Party for National Development (UPND), Hakainde Hichilema, on 23 December, 2020.

The CSOs stated in a joint statement that the authorities must ensure the outcome of any investigation is made public and Nsama and Kaunda’s killers brought to justice.

‘We call on the Zambian authorities to desist from excessive use of force and to invest in training law enforcement officers in crowd control methods that respect human rights and dignity’, the statement read.

‘We also condemn in the strongest terms the use of threatening and violent language by the Inspector General of Police, Kakoma Kanganja, and the Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo, who, ahead of Hichilema’s scheduled appearance warned UPND supporters against accompanying their leader, stating that police would “deal decisively with all those who would want to cause public disorder” and use “any means necessary to maintain law and order”.

‘This rhetoric has the potential to embolden police violence against defenceless people’.

The organisations and individuals to put pressure on the authorities to end human rights violations in Zambia.

Source: The Mast Online

Photo source: Paul Kagame