Zambia has withdrawn its army from the capital and other cities, having deployed them in December at the height of a cholera outbreak that killed more than 80 people in seven months.
The military personnel were sent to the streets to conduct clean-up exercises in a bid to fight the spread of the infectious disease that is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae.
President Edgar Lungu, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, gave the orders to send the troops into the streets.
Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo on Wednesday told a briefing that the joint operations of the defence and security personnel had helped restore order and Lungu had ordered them to return to barracks at midnight on Tuesday.
“They accomplished their mission. The commander-in-chief has since directed the defence forces to return to their regular duties,” Kampyongo said.
He said police would continue with patrols to ensure food vendors did not return to the streets.
