Police in Zambia have detained the country's main opposition leader on treason charges, two weeks after a disputed election. Brian Mundubile, who had sought refuge at a United Nations building, surrendered to police and was arrested along with his running mate, Makebi Zulu, according to infohub.kz.
Both recorded "warn and caution statements," a procedure that typically precedes formal charges, and are being held in custody, police said. The arrests mark a new escalation in tensions following the presidential election in the copper-rich southern African nation, where President Hakainde Hichilema was declared the winner. Hichilema is expected to be inaugurated for a second five-year term next week.
Mundubile has rejected the election results, citing irregularities, and said he went into hiding fearing for his life. The treason charges stem from a raid on his home a day after the election, during which authorities said they arrested 11 people and seized AK-47 rifles and other military equipment. Those arrested are accused of posing a threat to national security and face treason charges.
During the raid, a former minister and opposition official, Mutotwe Kafwaya, was fatally shot. Authorities claim security officers were fired upon and returned fire, but Mundubile disputes this, saying the opposition officials were unarmed and shot by security forces. He also denies government allegations of planning an insurgency.
International concern has been voiced over the incident. Amnesty International called Kafwaya's killing "deeply alarming," and U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk expressed concern about the arrests of opposition figures, including those detained before the election.
According to the electoral commission, Hichilema won with about 60% of the vote. Mundubile alleged irregularities, including the unauthorized removal of vote tally papers from some polling stations. Vote counting was temporarily suspended due to violence and the reported theft of ballot boxes, though the commission did not specify who was responsible.