SUMMARY

Zambia is a landlocked country that has managed to avoid intrastate armed conflict despite being neighbor to countries hosting some of the deadliest conflicts in Africa. Although unburdened from domestic rebel groups Zambia has been affected by one-sided violence as rebel groups from neighboring countries used its territory as a sanctuary. At times, these rebel groups and the governments fighting them have attacked civilians during looting sprees in their respective border regions.

In 1989 and 1990, the right-wing RENAMO attacked Zambian civilians in the Eastern Province. RENAMO, who fought to topple the Government of Mozambique, frequently raided villages along the Zambia-Mozambique border killing villagers and seizing supplies.

In 1993, Zairean soldiers raided the northwestern border area in search for food, killing a civilian.

Similarly, the conflict between the Government of Angola and UNITA spilled over into Zambia’s Western province. For years the relations between Angola and Zambia was strained as Angola routinely accused Zambia of providing support for UNITA. Zambia complained that Angola was expanding its military activities against the rebels onto Zambian soil. In 2000, UNITA killed civilians when stealing cattle and in 2001, the Government of Angola killed civilians when crossing the border in pursuit of the UNITA combatants.

Since 1989 Zambia has been affected by intrastate and one-sided categories of UCDP organized violence as defined by the UCDP, through spillover-events from RENAMO one-sided violence, DR Congo (Zaire) one-sided violence, UNITA one-sided violence and the Angola: Government conflict.