Thread by @Kauswe3

1997 COUP D'ÉTAT ATTEMPT IN ZAMBIA
28 OCTOBER 1997

Thread

On the morning of 28 October 1997, Zambians woke to a man calling himself Captain Solo announcing on the state radio that he had taken over the country, was dismissing the chiefs of the army and the police.

He gave President Frederick T. J. Chiluba until 9 A.M. to surrender or be killed.

About 50 soldiers on Armored Personnel Carriers and trucks led by Captain Solo broke into an armed depot, assaulted army officers and then proceeded to seize state-owned Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) studios.

At about 4am, another group of about 30 soldiers on Armored Personnel Carriers and trucks led by Captain Jack Chiti arrived at the Zambia Army Commander’s residence.

The soldiers over powered the 10 sentries posted at the Army Commander’s residence. Captain Jack Chiti managed to capture the army commmader and his family.

During a moment of confusion, the army commmader jumped the wall fence leaving his family behind and disappeared into the darkness. It was later learnt that the army commmader had dashed to the residence of the Zambia Security Intelligence Service Director General Xavier Chungu.

Mr. Chungu had already started gathering information on what was happening in the early hours. Chungu also secured President Chiluba and the first family to a safe house.

Having failed to locate where the army commmader had gone, Captain Jack Chiti and his troops left for the then Lusaka International Airport.

At about 7 am four Zambia Airforce Helicopters were sent to Ndola to pick loyal soldiers at 1 Commando Battalion (Special Forces) in Ndola. By 9am, the Special forces arrived at ZNBC studios and Captain Solo together with 54 others were arrested by the special forces.

About 9 A.M., a military commander announced on another station in the complex that the coup had been quelled.

About 10 A.M., President Chiluba went on the air to say six plotters had been arrested, to thank loyal army units for ''a job well done'' and to ask people to return to work.

Lusaka residents reached by phone said city traffic seemed normal by afternoon, although many businesses and the airport remained closed.

By afternoon, more arrests were announced -- one report went as high as 20. The ZNBC was reported slightly damaged by gunfire and its doors broken by soldiers.

Captain Solo or Captain Steven Solomon Lungu, was a former headmaster who joined the army's political education program when Kenneth D. Kaunda was President.

Captain Solo in his radio broadcast claimed to head the National Redemption Council and to have been prompted by a vision of an angel to oust the Govt for its ''corruption and criminality.'' He called his coup Operation Born Again.

In 2003 under the leadership of the late President Levy Mwanawasa, the long awaited trial was over. During their trial, the two main coup leaders, Captain Stephen Lungu and Captain Jack Chiti, admitted recruiting colleagues for the power grab.

A total of 58 soldiers were convicted of treason and sentenced to hang in September 1999 for their role in a failed takeover on October 28, 1997.

A 59th officer, Major Musonda Kangwa, was sentenced to 21 years in jail for knowing in advance about the coup plans but failing to inform his superiors.

Captain Jack Chiti received a presidential pardon from late President Levy Mwanawasa but he died in 2004 after a long struggle with cancer.

Captain Solo also received a presidential pardon after serving 13 years imprisonment by the then third Republican President Rupiah Banda on 28 December 2010

However, he died on 11 August 2012, aged 50, at Kanyama Clinic, in Lusaka after a long battle with tuberculosis (TB) which had deteriorated his health since his release from prison.

Source - The New York Times and Mwebantu