While neighbouring states like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Mozambique are battling against terrorism and insurgency, companies operating in Zambia do not face imminent threats from extremists, according to analysts.Zambia scores 57.3 out of 100 and is ranked eighth out of 13 southern African countries and 97th globally for terrorism and political violence.Fitch Solutions states: “Businesses in Zambia will not find the physical safety of their assets and personnel compromised to any significant degree by terrorist risks. “Unlike its West and East African peers, Zambia does not have any known domestic active terrorist groups within its borders and does not have a very high profile internationally to be considered a very likely target for such an attack. “We cannot, however, rule out the possibility of international terrorist groups from regional neighbours using Zambia as a base for planning attacks, or as a hideout as the country's borders are highly porous.”Although there is no immediate threat of terrorism in Zambia, Fitch warns about potential civil unrest if the new government is not able to restore economic growth. Eastern neighbour Tanzania has been selected as the home of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Counter Terrorism Centre.Reading a communiqué at the 41st SADC Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and government in Lilongwe, Malawi, the outgoing SADC executive secretary, Stergomena Tax, said the centre expected to offer dedicated and strategic advisory services to the region on terrorism threats and cybercrime, which have challenged the region in the past year.Once the centre is operational, the region will enhance efforts and the coordination of measures to address terrorism, according to an SADC statement. Zambia established a national anti-terrorism centre in around 2015, following amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act no. 21 of 2007, which criminalises acts of terrorism.In its submission to the United Nations Victims of Terrorism Support Portal, the Zambian government states that the country is a member of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money-Laundering Group and is committed, individually and collectively with other member countries, to working towards the implementation of the Financial Action Task Force 40+9 recommendations on money laundering and terrorist financing. “In addition, Zambia has demonstrated commitment to counter-terrorism by devising an Anti-Money-Laundering and the combating of financing of terrorism country strategy,” it says.The movement of firearms into and out of Zambia could be affected by the signing of an amendment of the SADC protocol on the control of firearms, ammunition and other related materials during the August summit.The amended agreement seeks to broaden the application of the protocol to include conventional weapons, align it with the international conventions, and incorporate contemporary threats of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the region.
