Rights abuse concerns

Human rights groups on Monday said abuses are on the increase in Zambia and urged international donors to step up pressure on the government of President Frederick Chiluba to curb violations ahead of the 2001 general elections.

In a statement issued in the capital Lusaka, New York-based Human Rights Watch and its Zambian chapter Afronet, urged international donors to link their cash disbursements to improvements in human rights standards and clear efforts to ensure torture is eradicated.

The statement comes against the background of a three-day World Bank-sponsored Consultative Group (CG) meeting between Zambia and its foreign donors at which Zambia expects pledges for budgetary support for its cash-strapped treasury.

“Zambia, once promoted as a model for democracy in Africa, has been distinguished by a pattern of ongoing human rights abuses targeting the independent media and political opposition,” Human Rights Watch and Afronet said.

They said they wanted freedom of assembly and association and freedom of expression and action against torture to be resounding themes of government policy in the next year. “Human Rights Watch and Afronet urge the CG to maintain the link between governance performance of the Zambian government and balance of payments support to the country,” the organisations said.

Human Rights Watch said it was concerned that police often used force to break up demonstrations. It pointed to examples of marches by women from NGOs as well as doctors and youths supporting former cabinet minister Ben Mwila, who has now been expelled from President Chiluba’s ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy party.

Human Rights Watch said in cases where journalists or opposition supporters were threatened or physically assaulted, no investigation was carried out by police. “Reports of police torture continue,” the group said.