The condition of Levy Mwanawasa , the Zambian president is now critical Zambia’s vice president Rupiah Banda said on Monday.

Mwanawasa who has been confined to a Paris hospital since he suffered a stroke in late July on the eve of the African Union summit.

Zambia’s vice president said, “( Mwanawasa) was making steady progress until (Sunday) night when his condition suddenly changed and required urgent intervention”, said Banda.

Mwanawasa reportedly gradually emerged from the coma Monday morning,but the government is keeping a tight lid on his health.

Another senior Zambian government official said the southern African leader’s health is now “very serious” without elaborating further.

Mwanawas has been a vocal critic of President Robert Mugabe and when South Africa’s president Thabo Mbeki announced his death in July based on a rumour spread by one Malone Zaza,Zimbabwe’s state media celebrated.

All the country ’s radio stations under the firm hand of Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF devoted hours of demonising the Zambian leader prompting the Zambian government to protest.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Kabinga Pande, said in Lusaka then,“We have lodged in a note-verbal, which is a diplomatic communication to the Zimbabwean government to protest over the sustained malicious campaign against Zambia.’