The Zambian government says President Levy Mwanawasa has suffered a stroke.
The
president was hospitalized Sunday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El
Sheikh, where he was preparing to attend Monday's summit of African
Union leaders.
Zambian Vice President Rupiah Banda says in a
statement Monday that Mr. Mwanawasa is being attended to by doctors and
his condition is stable.
The Zambian president fell ill on
Sunday after attending an AU committee meeting on United Nations
reform. An initial statement from Zambia's foreign minister had
described his ailment as a consequence of high blood pressure.
The
AU summit has so far focused largely on the political crisis in
Zimbabwe. Mr. Mwanawasa is known as a critic of Zimbabwean President
Robert Mugabe, but has said he will not comment on the current
situation before AU leaders discuss the matter.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
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Zambia's President Suffers Stroke at AU Summit
update