On 8 February 2020, the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka issued a Security Alert, which reads in part as follows:
“Location: Northwestern Province.
“Event: Rumors of ritualistic killings have led to incidents of civil unrest in several districts of Northwestern Province. The U.S. Embassy’s Regional Security Office has received reports of groups exhibiting aggressive and mob-like behavior, to include some reports of group members armed with weapons surrounding and searching vehicles, as well as people targeting persons suspected of association with ritual killings or other criminal activity. The provincial government has deployed additional police forces in these districts, but unrest and violence persist and has yet to be consistently contained.
“U.S. government personnel are prohibited from travel to Northwestern Province, with the exception of Solwezi, until further notice. Personnel are further advsied to exercise increased caution while traveling in surrounding provinces, especially the Copperbelt, as the security situation can change quickly.”
