Security forces in Zambia have seized weapons and arrested 11 people, including senior opposition figures, allegedly involved in an insurrection plot, the government has said.
The leading opposition candidate in last Thursday’s presidential election, Brian Mundubile, was also found at the scene of the raid in the capital, Lusaka, according to the country’s top civil servant Patrick Kangwa.
In an interview with the BBC, Mundubile dismissed the accusations as “total fabrications”, saying security forces staged an assassination attempt on his life during a raid at his home on Friday.
With results from more than half of the constituencies announced, he is trailing incumbent Hakainde Hichilema.
Mundubile had earlier claimed victory and alleged there were voting irregularities.
Giving details about the raid, Kangwa said the individuals arrested were connected to “military plans involving foreign nationals and illegal military training camps”.
He added that they posed “a serious threat to state security” and held “high-grade military weapons”, ammunition and other materials intended for use in an armed insurrection.
He alleged that shots were fired at law enforcement officers leading to an exchange of fire.
Mundubile however told the BBC that there was no militia at his home.
“It’s unfortunate that senior government officials would present themselves before the entire nation to make such falsehoods,” he told BBC Focus on Africa.
According to Kangwa, among those arrested were Patrick Mwansa, the husband of Tasila Lungu, the daughter of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu, and other politicians.
The suspects are being held in custody at various police stations in Lusaka.
Mundubile described the raid to the BBC in detail, saying armed personnel knocked down the gate with an armoured vehicle, broke doors and windows and opened fire.
“They were basically shooting indiscriminately. They directed two shots towards me. Like I’ve always said, it was just by God’s grace that I survived.
“So they came in to kill us,” he said.
The mood remains stable as Zambians await the full results of the election, although some uncertainty has emerged following the government’s announcement of the raid.
However, there is a heightened security police presence in some parts of the capital.
Mundubile had made a series of allegations about the electoral process, including reports of military involvement at tallying centres and irregularities involving ballot boxes.
He later said he was being interrogated by Zambian army officers over two videos he released and alleged he had been assaulted while in custody, which authorities denied.
He also accused Tanzania of sending individuals to interfere in the election, an allegation the Tanzanian government firmly rejected as false and unfounded.
Zambia’s electoral commission briefly suspended the counting and announcement of results on Friday, citing violence against polling staff and theft of marked ballot papers.
It lifted the suspension the same day, saying the security threat had been contained.
Both the European Union (EU) and the southern African (Sadc) observer missions have since expressed concern over the suspension of the vote counting.