Riots in Lusaka

This item appears on page 21 of the June 2016 issue.

In Lusaka, capital of Zambia, two days of violence on April 18-19 left two people dead, 250 arrested and 60 Rwandan-owned shops looted.

Rwandans make up the largest group of immigrants in Zambia, many having moved there after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. In March and April of this year, following what were apparently ritual killings, the mutilated bodies of six men were found in the Lusaka area. Fueled by charges of police negligence as well as frustration over high unemployment and rising costs, this spurred xenophobic violence, which spread to several local townships.