SENEGALESE Consular General in Zambia Ousmane Ba yesterday described the riotous behaviour of soccer fans in Kitwe as an act of banditry.

And Inspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo has said 48 suspects have been arrested and charged with arson and malicious damage to property.

In an interview, Ba said events that took place in Kitwe's Bulangililo township were an act of banditry because the fans started rioting well before the game ended.

Ba dismissed assertions that the riot was because of the loss Zambia suffered at the hands of Senegal because the targeted properties were not for Senegalese but Malians.

He said the attacks on Malian nationals could be because they are Senegal's neighbours in West Africa.

Ba, who visited Bulangililo area on Sunday, said the mosque that was attacked did not belong to the Senegalese but to all people of West Africa.

He said vehicles belonging to Malians and the house of the Imam (chief priest) was broken into and household items were destroyed.

He thanked police for the quick response in arresting the delinquents.

Ba said a Malian sustained a leg injury after falling on broken pieces of glasses.

On the football match, Ba said both teams behaved well on the pitch.

"But God gave victory to Senegal. Anyway everybody had a chance to win," Ba said.

He said the fans behaved well throughout the game and that the game ended peacefully.

Mateyo said about 800 soccer fans ran riot in Bulangililo Township in the wake of Zambia's loss to Senegal on Saturday at Konkola Stadium in Chililabombwe.

He said rampaging soccer fans damaged a mosque, burnt four vehicles to ashes and shattered windscreens to nine others and ransacked two houses and looted property.

Mateyo said the value of stolen property was yet to be quantified.

"We have since apprehended 48 suspects of whom 14 have been charged with arson while 34 have been charged with malicious damage to property and riotous behaviour, and all suspects will appear in court soon," said Mateyo.

He said the general security situation in Kitwe had normalised but police officers were still on the ground to maintain law and order and that investigations were continuing.

And the Human Rights Commission (HRC) has described the soccer fans' behaviour as criminal.

HRC director Enoch Mulembe said it was criminal under the country's laws and primitive for soccer fans to have exhibited such behaviour.

"There is no justification for the riots and destruction of property and it amounts to a violation of the property rights of the victims whether they are Zambian or foreign nationals," he said.

Mulembe reminded the public that the enjoyment of human rights under the Zambian Constitution extended to non-Zambians also.

He said the Constitution protected the rights of every person within the jurisdiction of the country and prohibited discrimination based on nationality.

"Zambia is known to be a hospitality country in which foreign nationals who are legally in the country and are responsible residents enjoy the same peace that Zambians enjoy," said Mulembe.

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