In a move that escalates a bitter political standoff, the Zambian government says it has taken custody of former president Edgar Lungu’s body—10 months after his death in South Africa—despite the family’s objections. The clash revives a long-running feud between Lungu and his successor, Hakainde Hichilema. The family has responded by filing an urgent application in a South African high court, seeking an order to return the former president’s body to the funeral home where it was originally kept.

In the aftermath of the opposition's victory in Zambia, the former ruling party Patriotic Front suffered a series of defections. Several members slammed the door to outgoing President Edgar Lungu's party after his defeat to opponent Hakainde Hichilema. And according to some analysts, the storm has just begun. Among the…