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Two Shot Dead as Zambia Police Break Up Opposition Gathering

  • Crowd had assembled to show support for main opposition leader
  • Hichilema faced questioning over farm purchased 15 years ago
Zambia Police officers remove the body of a government worker who was shot as opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema was being questioned at Lusaka Police Force Headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia, on Dec. 23.

Zambia Police officers remove the body of a government worker who was shot as opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema was being questioned at Lusaka Police Force Headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia, on Dec. 23.

Photographer: Salim Dawood/AFP/Getty Images

Updated on

Two people died of gunshot wounds after Zambian police were deployed to disperse a crowd that gathered to show their support for the main opposition leader, Hakainde Hichilema, who had presented himself for questioning.

A state prosecutor and another person were hit by stray bullets fired by the police during chaos that ensued in the capital, Lusaka, privately owned Hot FM radio reported. Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja confirmed the deaths, but said they occurred in “unknown circumstances” while officers tried to break up the gathering.