Zambia, 1997 — military coup attempt

Event Summary

On 28 October 1997 a coup was attempted in Zambia against President Frederick Chiluba when a small group of junior army officers, led by a captain who called himself Captain Solo, seized the national radio station in Lusaka in the early morning hours and announced over the air that the military had taken over the government, declaring an end to Chiluba's rule. The bizarre, poorly organized putsch, mounted by a handful of drunken junior officers with no broad military backing, quickly fizzled: loyalist forces moved swiftly, retook the radio station within hours, and arrested the plotters after a brief exchange of fire. Chiluba, who had come to power in 1991 in Zambia's transition from Kenneth Kaunda's one party rule, survived the farcical attempt easily.

He used it, however, to crack down on his political opponents, declaring a state of emergency and arresting numerous figures, including former president Kaunda, whom the government accused of complicity, in a move widely seen as a pretext to sideline his rivals. The alleged plotters were later tried, and Chiluba consolidated his position, ruling until 2002.