The 1990 Zambian coup d'état attempt was a

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

attempt that took place in

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...

on 1 July 1990. The coup lasted no more than 6 hours and took place between 3 and 9 A.M. when the coup's leader, Lieutenant

Mwamba Luchembe Lieutenant Christopher Mwamba Luchembe (born 1960) is a former Zambia Army Lieutenant who staged the 1990 Zambian coup d'état attempt during the one-party state era of Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda in 1990. His action came amidst widespread ...

of the

Zambian Army The Zambian Army, is the land military branch of the Zambian Defence Force. Like all branches of the Zambian military, citizens of the nation are required to register at 16 years old, and citizens can join at 16 years old with parental consent or ...

, announced via the

ZNBC The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) is a Zambian television and radio station, formerly state owned, now technically a statutory body but still essentially under government control. It is the oldest, widest, and largest radio and ...

(national radio station) that the military had taken over the government and he cited riots of the previous week as reasons for his action; about 27 people had died in the riots, while more than 100 were wounded. Although Lieutenant Luchembe's coup attempt against the then President

Kenneth Kaunda Kenneth David Kaunda (28 April 1924 – 17 June 2021), also known as KK, was a Zambian politician who served as the first President of Zambia from 1964 to 1991. He was at the forefront of the struggle for independence from British rule. Diss ...

failed, it weakened Kaunda's political power, which was already shaky after three days of rioting.

References

Coup

Military coups in Zambia July 1990 events in Africa 1990s coups d'état and coup attempts {{Zambia-stub

See also

References