M’membe Warns Zambia’s UN Peacekeeping Role At Risk

Zambia risks losing its international standing as a respected contributor to United Nations peacekeeping and military observer missions, Socialist Party president Dr Fred M’membe has warned. In a statement, M’membe cautioned of far-reaching consequences arising from what he…

Zambia risks losing its international standing as a respected contributor to United Nations peacekeeping and military observer missions, Socialist Party president Dr Fred M’membe has warned. In a statement, M’membe cautioned of far-reaching consequences arising from what he described as state-sponsored military actions carried out during the August 13 general election period.

M’membe pointed specifically to the death of former Lunte member of parliament and ex-minister Mutotwe Kafwaya, who died during a military raid on a residential property in Kabulonga. He described the incident as the most tragic and damning of a series of events he said undermined the constitutional boundary between the Zambia Army and party politics, arguing that when the military behaves like a political militia, the fundamental trust between the state and its citizens fractures.

The Socialist Party leader was dismayed by what he called the extensive deployment of elite units of the country’s army to directly interfere with the electoral process in favour of ruling party candidates and intimidate citizens into silence. He said the harrowing events of the August 13 elections suggested a deeply disturbing shift, arguing that under the command of Lieutenant General Geoffrey Zyeele, elite army units did not act as neutral guardians of peace but instead appeared as active instruments of intimidation.

M’membe specifically named Lieutenant General Zyeele, Brigadier General Moses Shapwaya and Major Lyempe Kapumpa, stating that the uniform they wear does not grant immunity from accountability and warning that their conduct will cost the nation. He cited Article 2 of the Zambian Constitution, which grants every person, including citizens, residents and state entities, a fundamental right and solemn duty to defend the Constitution and resist any attempt to overthrow or illegally abrogate it.

He further argued that commandos entering civilian polling spaces, threatening electoral staff and interfering with opposition representatives at Mulungushi International Conference Centre represented an unacceptable overreach of state power. According to M’membe, a democracy cannot function when voters and election officials look at their own army not with a sense of security but with fear, a dynamic he said was on full display during the election period.

M’membe stated that the primary duty of the Zambia Army is to defend the Republic, protect its sovereign borders and uphold the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia as established, and that the army was trained to respect and uphold national and international law. He said that for decades Zambia had proudly stood as a beacon of peaceful transitions and democratic resilience in Africa, but that this reputation was severely compromised during the 2026 election cycle.

While government publicists have scrambled to frame the military deployments during the election as routine measures to maintain order, M’membe said the reality on the ground felt like a coordinated suppression of dissent. He argued that no institution should expect to be free from scrutiny of those who gave it their loyalty and support, and those who did not, a pointed reference to the army’s constitutional obligation to serve all citizens regardless of political affiliation.

The warning comes at a particularly sensitive moment, with President Hichilema being sworn in for a second term today even as questions over the conduct of security forces during the election period remain unresolved. Zambia has historically maintained a strong international reputation as a contributor to UN peacekeeping and observer missions across the continent, a status M’membe argues is now genuinely at stake if the concerns he has raised are not addressed.

Whether M’membe’s allegations translate into any formal inquiry, whether domestic or through international channels, remains to be seen. For now, his statement adds another layer of scrutiny to an election period that has already produced a treason case against the losing presidential candidate, dozens of parliamentary petitions, and mounting public debate over the boundary between military conduct and political interference in Zambia’s democracy.

Do you believe the allegations raised by Dr M’membe warrant a formal, independent investigation into military conduct during the election?