Zambian student protestors badly injured by police raid

By Francis Maingaila

LUSAKA, Zambia

A police raid on a university campus Saturday night left 25 students in intensive care, student leaders said Sunday.

Police swooped on the Copperbelt University site in Kitwe, northern Zambia, after days of protests by students over the suspension of meal allowances.

Student Union President Njkikho Musuku said more than 100 students were injured during the raid, including 25 students admitted to Kitwe Central Hospital’s intensive care unit.

Several students were arrested, Musuku said.

The Human Rights Commission condemned the use of excessive force by police. “Apart from excessive force, other means of controlling rioting students should have been used,” spokesman Mwelwa Muleya said.

Police said they intervened to stop students destroying property. Provincial Commissioner Charity Katanga told journalists that students went on the rampage and officers acted to “calm the situation and protect the property from student vandals.”