• by IPS Correspondents (lusaka)
• Friday, December 30, 1994
• Inter Press Service

LUSAKA, Dic 30 (IPS) - LONG STANDING TENSIONS BETWEEN TWO ETHNIC GROUPS IN WESTERN ZAMBIA HAVE ERUPTED INTO VIOLENCE AND RAISED FEARS OF A BLOODBATH.

POLICE SAID FRIDAY THEY HAD ARRESTED 24 VILLAGERS IN THE RURAL KAOMA DISTRICT FOLLOWING CLASHES BETWEEN THE RIVAL LOZI AND NYOKA ETHNIC GROUPS EARLIER THIS WEEK.

SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND PROPERTY, INCLUDING HOUSES, WERE BURNT DOWN IN THE CONFLICT.

A POLICE SPOKESMAN SAID MORE ARRESTS MAY BE MADE AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS.

THIS WEEK'S CLASH IS THE SECOND INCIDENT TO HAVE OCCURRED IN KAOMA THIS YEAR. THE TWO GROUPS WAGED A BATTLE LAST AUGUST WHEN THE NYOKA REBELLED AGAINST WHAT THEY PERCEIVED TO BE LOZI DOMINATION.

THE NYOKA, A RELATIVELY SMALL ETHNIC GROUP, ARE OPPOSED TO BEING GOVERNED BY TRADITIONAL LEADERS FROM THE LOZI, WHO DOMINATE THE WESTERN PROVINCE.

ALL OF WESTERN PROVINCE IS GOVERNED BY TRADITIONAL LEADERS APPOINTED BY THE LITUNGA, THE PARAMOUNT CHIEF OF THE LOZI PEOPLE. HOWEVER, THE NYOKA SAY THEY WANT TO BE GOVERNED BY THEIR OWN KINSMEN.

BUT, TO THEIR CHAGRIN, THE ACT FOR APPOINTING NEW CHIEFS FAVOURS THE LOZI. IT STIPULATES THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL ONLY RECOGNISE TRADITION LEADERS IN WESTERN PROVINCE IF THEY ARE APPOINTED BY THE LITUNGA.

THE LITUNGA ENJOYS FAR REACHING POWERS OVER THE PROVINCE COMPARED WITH CHIEFS IN OTHER ZONES, THANKS TO AN AGREEMENT REACHED BY THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE LITUNGA DURING INDEPENDENCE IN 1964.

AS A SEPARATE BRITISH PROTECTORATE, WESTERN PROVINCE ONLY BECAME PART OF ZAMBIA, WITH THE SIGNING OF THE BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT, THE LITUNGA, AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

THE AGREEMENT GAVE THE LITUNGA'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTROL OVER THE WESTERN PROVINCE, AND ALLOWED HIM TO HAVE HIS OWN COURTS AND AN INDEPENDENT TREASURY.

WHILE MOST OF THE LITUNGA'S POWERS HAVE SINCE BEEN ERODED BY LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS, HE STILL ENJOYS A MORE INFLUENTIAL POSITION THAN OTHER TRADITIONAL RULERS.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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