ICC to probe Zambian opposition leaders: presidency

Zambian President Edgar Lungu's office said Tuesday that the International Criminal Court (ICC) will send five investigators to probe into allegations of crimes against humanity by the country's main opposition leaders.

Presidential spokesperson Amos Chanda said the ICC has informed the Zambian government that some Zambians from the southern district of Namwala had filed before it the case against Hakainde Hichilema and his vice Geoffrey Mwamba.

The district suffered violence after the August 11 general elections in which alleged supporters of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) targeted ruling party supporters by destroying their property.

Hichilema, leader of the UPND who narrowly lost to incumbent President Lungu in the Aug. 11 polls, has refused to acknowledge the Zambian leader as duly elected, citing malpractices in the vote count.

Chanda told reporters during a press briefing at State House that the Ministry of Justice has received correspondence from the ICC on the matter but did not elaborate on when they would come, according to state broadcaster Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC).

Meanwhile, the Zambian government has snubbed reports by the two opposition leaders that they have taken their case of disputing the outcome of the elections to the International Court of Justice and the ICC.

He said the government will this week make a formal request before the two courts to ascertain the authenticity of the opposition leaders' claims.

However, Chanda said the two international courts had no jurisdictions to install or remove a legitimately elected sovereign government and dismissed claims by the opposition leaders that the two courts will make a decision on their case on November 15. Endit