As Zambia prepares for its general election on August 13, the nation’s bishops called for the rejection of violence.
“No political office, no electoral victory, and no grievance, political or otherwise, can ever justify aggression, intimidation, or the shedding of blood,” they said in their July 16 statement, amid election-related violence. “Let this election be conducted honestly, let its results be announced transparently, and let the verdict of the Zambian people, once fairly given, be honored by all.”
Located in southern Africa, the nation of 21.4 million (map) is 87% Christian (44% Catholic), 10% ethnic religionist, and 2% Baháʼí.