Editing Zambian Defence Force (section)

==United Nations Peacekeeping Missions==
Zambia has been an active participant in several UN peacekeeping operations, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.  Zambian personnel have been fated to be caught up in some of the more dramatic incidents of recent UN Peacekeeping in Africa: witnessing the [[Kibeho Massacre]] in Rwanda during April 1995; having large numbers of Zambian peacekeepers taken hostage by rebels in Sierra Leone during 2000;<ref>Ashby, Phil (2003) ''Unscathed: Escape from Sierra Leone'', Pan Macmillan Ltd, London.</ref> and with troops caught up in fighting between Sudanese and South Sudanese forces in the contested Abyei area during May 2011.<ref name="africareview.com">Mbao, E. (2011) 'Zambia defends Abyei peacekeepers', ''Africa Review'' (Kenya), 6 June 2011, accessed 20 December 2016, <http://www.africareview.com/news/Zambia-defends-Abyei-peacekeepers/979180-1176182-format-xhtml-abqrq0/index.html {{cite web |url=http://www.africareview.com/news/Zambia-defends-Abyei-peacekeepers/979180-1176182-format-xhtml-abqrq0/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206185225/http://www.africareview.com/news/Zambia-defends-Abyei-peacekeepers/979180-1176182-format-xhtml-abqrq0/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 6, 2017 |title=Unknown |access-date=July 19, 2020}}></ref>  Despite these crises Zambian forces have generally performed well and earned a reputation as effective peacekeepers.<ref>Lungu H. & Ngoma, N. (2005) The Zambian military—trials, tribulations and hope.  In: Rupiya, M. (ed.) ''Evolutions and Revolutions: A Contemporary History of Militaries in Southern Africa''. Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria: 331-329.  {{ISBN|1-919913-82-3}}</ref><ref name="dtic.mil"/>

UN missions which have seen the deployment of battalions of Zambian troops, or other significant contingents, include the following.

'''UNAVEM III''' (United Nations Angola Verification Mission III, February 1995 to June 1997)

A Zambian battalion was deployed to southern Angola, based in the town of Menongue.<ref>{{UN doc |do |body=S |type=D |document_number=304 |title=Progress Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III) |date=14 April 1997 |accessdate=2 January 2019}}</ref> Seven Zambian peacekeepers died during the UNAVEM III deployment.<ref name="un.org">UN Peacekeeping, Fatalities by Nationality and Mission - up to 30 November 2018, accessed 2 January 2019, <https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/statsbynationalitymission_2_19.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102143130/https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/statsbynationalitymission_2_19.pdf |date=2019-01-02 }}></ref>

'''UNAMIR''' (United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda)

Three Zambian fatalities.<ref name="un.org 2">
UN Peacekeeping, Fatalities by Nationality and Mission - up to 31 October 2016, accessed 18 November 2016, 
<http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/fatalities/documents/stats_2.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113115246/http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/fatalities/documents/stats_2.pdf |date=2017-01-13 }}>
</ref>

'''UNAMSIL''' (United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone)

Thirty-four Zambian fatalities.<ref name="un.org 2"/>

* Zambatt 1, deployed April 2000.  Shortly after deployment some 200 Zambian peacekeepers were taken hostage by rebels and some were later murdered.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Perlez |first=Jane |last2=Wren |first2=Christopher S. |date=2000-05-06 |title=U.N. Reports Rebels Now Hold 300 of Its Troops in Sierra Leone |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/06/world/un-reports-rebels-now-hold-300-of-its-troops-in-sierra-leone.html |access-date=2024-03-01 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* Zambatt 2.
* Zambatt 3 (Lt. Col. MS Sitwala).  On 5 January 2002 six personnel were killed and another 12 injured in an accidental explosion while transferring surrendered mortar bombs to storage.<ref>UNAMSIL Press Briefing, 08 Jan 2002, Report from UN Mission in Sierra Leone, published on 08 Jan 2002, accessed 19 December 2016, <http://reliefweb.int/report/sierra-leone/unamsil-press-briefing-08-jan-2002 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224053225/http://reliefweb.int/report/sierra-leone/unamsil-press-briefing-08-jan-2002 |date=2017-02-24 }}</ref>
* Zambatt 4, deployed mid-2002, 830 strong.<ref>'Zambian peacekeepers decorated in Sierra Leone', Panapress, 16 November 2002, accessed 6 February 2017, <http://www.panapress.com/Zambian-peacekeepers-decorated-in-Sierra-Leone--13-468570-17-lang2-index.html {{cite web |url=http://www.panapress.com/Zambian-peacekeepers-decorated-in-Sierra-Leone--13-468570-17-lang2-index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206191653/http://www.panapress.com/Zambian-peacekeepers-decorated-in-Sierra-Leone--13-468570-17-lang2-index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 6, 2017 |title=Unknown |access-date=July 19, 2020}}></ref>
* Zambatt 5.
* Zambatt 6.
* Zambatt 7 (Col. John Siame) – 821 personnel; deployed February 2004 to ...<ref name="UNAMSIL 2004">UNAMSIL, 2004, ‘SRSG Decorates Zambian Peace Keepers with UN Peace Medal’, press release, 28 May.</ref> (Note: Sgt [Ms] Megani Forry died of natural causes during deployment, early 2004).<ref name="UNAMSIL 2004"/>

'''UNMIS''' (United Nations Mission in the Sudan)

Three Zambian fatalities.<ref>
UN Peacekeeping, Fatalities by Nationality and Mission - up to 31 October 2016, accessed 18 November 2016, 
http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/fatalities/documents/stats_2.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113115246/http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/fatalities/documents/stats_2.pdf |date=2017-01-13 }}
</ref> Four Zambian peacekeepers were wounded on 10 May 2011,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-05-11 |title=Zambia : Four Zambian U.N peacekeepers shot in Sudan |url=https://www.lusakatimes.com/2011/05/11/zambian-peacekeepers-shot-sudan/ |access-date=2024-03-01 |language=en-GB}}</ref> shortly before the independence of South Sudan and before an outbreak of fighting when the Zambians were criticised for not better protecting civilians.<ref name="africareview.com"/>
* Zambatt 1 - Deployed for six months, to June 2010.
* Zambatt 2 - 523 personnel strong; deployed June 2010.<ref>'Army Deploys Peace-Keepers', ''Times of Zambia'', 30 June 2010.</ref>

'''MINUSCA''' (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic)

* Zambatt 1 (Lt. Col. Kelvin Chiyangi<ref>{{Citation |title=Zambian Battalion in Central African Republic _ Part 1 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV60HbhY5RA |access-date=2024-03-01 |language=en}}</ref>), 750 personnel, including 50 Special Forces, deployed 30 April 2015 to April 2016.<ref>Nkala, O. (2015) ‘Zambia Begins Delayed UN Mission to CAR’, Defence News (web site), 20 May 2015</ref>
* Zambatt 2, deployed 22 April 2016.<ref>Cancio, F. (2016) ‘Zambia: 500 Soldiers off for Peace Keeping in CAR’, Centrafrican News Agency, 23 April 2016, accessed 17 December 2016, <http://www.lanouvellecentrafrique.org/2016/01/21/rwanda-rdf-officers-in-car-decorated/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207031525/http://www.lanouvellecentrafrique.org/2016/01/21/rwanda-rdf-officers-in-car-decorated/ |date=2017-02-07 }}></ref>
* Zambatt 3 (Lt. Col. John Banda), 750 personnel.  Undertook pre-deployment training under Zambian, United States and British instructors,<ref>'UK Government Supports Training of Zambia Peacekeeping Defence Forces', UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office press release via PR Newswire (New York), 24 March 2017, accessed 25 March 2017, <http://allafrica.com/stories/201703250093.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421194543/http://allafrica.com/stories/201703250093.html |date=2017-04-21 }}></ref> before deploying in April 2017.<ref>March, M. (2017) 'U.S. Army Africa chaplains conduct training for deploying Zambian counterparts', United States Africa Command, 17 April 2017, <http://www.africom.mil/media-room/Article/28815/u-s-army-africa-chaplains-conduct-training-for-deploying-zambian-counterparts {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718115233/http://www.africom.mil/media-room/Article/28815/u-s-army-africa-chaplains-conduct-training-for-deploying-zambian-counterparts |date=2018-07-18 }}></ref>
* Zambatt 4 (Lt. Col. Ngosa), deployed during April 2018.<ref>'U.S. Supports Zambian Peacekeeping Training', U.S. Embassy Zambia, 4 April 2018, <https://zm.usembassy.gov/zambian-peacekeeping-training/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718144526/https://zm.usembassy.gov/zambian-peacekeeping-training/ |date=2018-07-18 }}></ref>
* Zambatt 5 (Lt. Col. Tembo <ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-13 |title=COVID-19: Zambatt contingent female engagement team organizes sensitization for local women |url=https://minusca.unmissions.org/en/covid-19-zambatt-contingent-female-engagement-team-organizes-sensitization-local-women |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=MINUSCA |language=en}}</ref>) was to deploy in mid-2019.<ref>Kaluwa, B. (2019) 'Zambian Troops Counseled', Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation, 
27 April 2019, <https://www.znbc.co.zm/news/zambian-troops-counseled/>, accessed 7 January 2020.</ref>
* Zambatt 6 (Lt. Col. Paul Sapezo<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-06-10 |title=Birao: MINUSCA Zambian contingent provides shelter for a vulnerable family |url=https://minusca.unmissions.org/en/birao-minusca%C2%A0zambian%C2%A0contingent-provides-shelter-vulnerable-family |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=MINUSCA |language=en}}</ref>) was scheduled to deploy to the Central African Republic in 2020.<ref>'Zambia Defense Force Completes U.S. Global Peace Operations Initiative Training', One Love Zambia, posted on 5 December 2019, <https://onelovezambia.com/zambia-defense-force-completes-u-s-global-peace-operations-initiative-training/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208111204/https://onelovezambia.com/zambia-defense-force-completes-u-s-global-peace-operations-initiative-training/ |date=2019-12-08 }}>, accessed 7 January 2020.</ref>
* Zambatt 7 (Lt. Col Jeff Mwanahing’ombe) deployed in 2021 and returned home during September 2022.<ref>Kaumba, Kenneth (2022) 'Zambian Peacekeepers Return Home', ZNBC website, 3 September 2022, https://www.znbc.co.zm/news/zambian-peacekeepers-return-home/</ref>
* Zambatt 8 deployed to the CAR during September 2022.<ref>Kaumba 2022</ref>

During 2017 Warrant Officer 2 Boyd Chibuye died whilst deployed in the Central African Republic.<ref>Phiri, C. (2018) 'Three Zambian Peacekeepers Honoured Posthumously', ''Zambia Reports'', 5 June 2018, <https://zambiareports.com/2018/06/05/three-zambian-peacekeepers-honoured-posthumously/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718114520/https://zambiareports.com/2018/06/05/three-zambian-peacekeepers-honoured-posthumously/ |date=2018-07-18 }}></ref>

On 4 December 2017 a Zambian police member of the UN mission was reported injured in an attack by anti-Balaka fighters in Bria, northern CAR.  One Mauritanian policeman was killed and two others injured in this attack.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-12-04 |title=Targeted attack results in death of MINUSCA peacekeeper in Bria |url=https://minusca.unmissions.org/en/targeted-attack-results-death-minusca-peacekeeper-bria |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=MINUSCA |language=en}}</ref>

Staff Sergeant Derrick Sichilyango of the Zambian Contingent was killed in a road traffic accident in November 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-23 |title=Zambia : Fallen Zambian Peacekeeper honored at ceremony in the Central African Republic |url=https://www.lusakatimes.com/2018/11/23/fallen-zambian-peacekeeper-honored-at-ceremony-in-the-central-african-republic/ |access-date=2024-03-01 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Staff Sergeant Patrick Simasiku Wamunyima and Staff Sergeant Alex Mudenda Musanda, both serving with MINUSCA, died during 2019 and were honoured on the 2020 International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers with the posthumous award of the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal.<ref>'UN Observes International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on 29 May 2020', press release, United Nations Information Centre Lusaka, 27 May 2020, <https://lusaka.sites.unicnetwork.org/tag/peacekeeping/>, accessed 20 September 2020.</ref>