A guide to this week's election in Zambia, a southern African country rich in critical minerals

Zambia is scheduled to hold a national election this Thursday to determine the leadership of the country for the next five years. Incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema is seeking a second term, with his candidacy centered on his administration's economic recovery plan.

The election takes place in a nation recognized as a significant global producer of copper. The outcome is viewed as a referendum on the current government's economic policies within the resource-rich southern African state.