The 1997 Zambian coup d'état attempt was a military coup d'état attempt that took place in Zambia on 28 October 1997. The coup lasted no more than 3 hours and took place between 6 and 9 A.M. when the coup's leader, Captain Solo (Steven Lungu) of the Zambian Army,[1] announced via the ZNBC (national radio station) that a coup had taken place and that the then President, Frederick Chiluba, needed to step down.[2][3]
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| Date | 28 October 1997 |
|---|---|
| Location | Lusaka, Zambia |
| Type | Military coup |
| Motive | Regime change |
| Organised by | Captain Solo (Steven Lungu) |
| Outcome | Coup fails
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Some international media organizations could not resist joking about the "aptly named" coup leader (Solo) whose demand that the President resign could be heard accompanied by laughter from radio journalists who were in the radio station at the time of the coup attempt.[4] Captain Solo spent the next 13 years in prison for committing treason and was released only when it became clear that he was terminally ill.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Captain Solo dies". Lusaka Times. 12 August 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- ^ McNeil Jr., Donald G. (29 October 1997). "Zambia Says a Coup Is Over In 3 Hours, Without Injury". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ "Fracasa un chapucero golpe de Estado en Zambia contra el presidente Chiluba" [Botched coup in Zambia against President Chiluba fails]. El País (in Spanish). 29 October 1997. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- ^ "Captain Solo's angel-inspired Zambian coup ends in giggle". Irish Independent. 29 October 1997. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
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