President Lungu has said that Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo have shared warm bilateral relations since time in memorial. The President said that it was important that the two nations continue to build upon their relationship and cooperation as active members of the Southern African Development community, SADC, The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa COMESA and the International Conference of the Great lakes Region.
Speaking last evening at the State banquet held in honour of the DRC Leader’s s visit to Zambian at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka, the President expressed confidence that the two nations would continue to strive to fuilfil their bilateral and multilateral obligations which will result in uplifting the livelihood of the people of the two nations as well as that of the entire region.
“Your Excellency, in uplifting the lives of our people, we must continue addressing the challenges of peace in the region. As we agreed in our meeting this morning, this is a pre-requisite to development. I therefore wish to reaffirm the Zambian governments commitment to promoting and strengthening the regions peace initiatives, ” the President Said, making a commitment that the Zambian government would continue to persue peace in the region even after Zambias chairmanship of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security had ended.
President Lungu commended the efforts of President Tshisekedi in restoring peace and security to the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, and paving way for economic and political transformation.
“I wish to quote a rich African Proverb which says that ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. if you want to go far, go together’. I know it is a worn out saying, but it is still relevant to all of us. If we want to make progress, we have to go together.”
He also quoted a Bemba saying whose translation was that moving together is not a sign of cowardice stating that there is strength in numbers.
“In this regard your Excellency, only by working together can we achieve the goals and aspirations of our region and the African continent as a whole,” President Lungu said.
He stressed the importance of African countries speaking with one voice especially at the multilateral level which requires collective action to be taken on issues of social and economic development.
He said this was in addition to matters of peace and security in a quest to reform the United Nations Security Council in line with the Ezulwini consensus and the Sirte declaration.
“It is no doubt that the majority of issues under the UN agenda comprises of African issues. In this regard, we must strive to be the problem solvers of our own challenges. We can do this by fighting for permanent representation at the UN Security Council,”he said.
President Lungu took time to thank his Counterpart for accepting his invitation to grace the 55th Zambia International Trade Fair taking place in Ndola, the Copperbelt town of Zambia.
And President Tshisekedi said his Country would continue to pursue stronger ties with the Zambian government because the two countries are one as evidenced by the many similarities they share in language, culture and history.
He agreed with President Lungu of the need for Africa to have a permanent seat at the UN Security Council and thanked his Zambian Counterpart for the invitation to officiate at the Trade Fair and for the productive and progressive talks and agreements they were engaging in.
Strengthening of Zambia’s ties with a deeply dysfunctional country like DRC is misguided. Only flow of refugees and smuggling of goods will thrive.
Mr. Chisekedi, please end the civil war. It’s been too long. Make Congo federal system, it is way to big to govern as a unitary state. Decentralize.
DRC is a hugely potential power house.
If they get their politics right, Zambia can only benefit from them.
I wish them well, and I am encouraged that they seem to be on the correct path towards prosperity.
God bless Africa.
@Dr. Sifuchu Sipinya. Time and again federalism in African countries were there many ethnic grouping has proved to be a failure, it’s been seento be a danger to national unity. The only way to make it work is to draw state boundaries beyond ethnic and tribal boundaries.
@IndigoTyrol. You’re so right, DRC has the huge potential.
Nevermind this utterly Lazy Bum Edgar who will follow DRC President everywhere as he has nothing to do in State House….he should have let DRC have working breakfast with Zambia Farmers Union and top farmers this morning instead of reading useless speeches!!
@1Mzambian..Sorry,this shows lack of understanding of how good bilateral relations work! Deepening relations with the DRC means creating grounds for good business and interaction of people for economic progress of the two countries!Refugees flee wars to countries(places) of safety,whether you have good relations or not,refugees will always come across for safety! For your information and for 1.2 Dr.Sifuchu..the wars in DRC are always fueled from outside,the DRC is already a Federal State with Provincial Governments (and Governors) such as Moses Katumbi was for the then Katanga!!
@Zambiasours. You are wrong, DRC is not a federal state, having Governors doesn’t make a state federal. DRC is a special/worse case of a Unitary and semi presidential republic. They changed from federal to the current system in 1962/3, and the reason they did so was because Katanga province tried to secede in 1961, I’m sure you know about the seige of Jadotville.
If DRC was a federal republic it wouldn’t be possible for the conflicts to be fueled by outsiders.
@2.1 Dokowe, what do we call a country where Provinces have their own Parliaments,own budgets,own Ministers to manage their provincial affairs but report to national institutions? In the DRC the Governors have Ministers and Budgets to run their provincial affairs. At some point it was resolved that 65% of resources generated in a province should be retained there but this was going to make Katanga too rich,too powerful so it was not implemented.From what I gathered,Federalism was there even during colonial times but Katanga was being controlled directly from Kinshasa but at end of colonial rule the Katengese pushed for session with help of some Belgian and some mining multinationals but it failed when they Tshombe was very nationalistic and possibly socialist.Kabila further created more…
Cont’d from 2.2.Kabila further divided 10 into 26 Provinces partly to weaken some perceived powerful provinces and their Govermore,Katanga now is 4 Provinces. I think of DRC is not federal state,then it is not too far from it because it is highly decentralised!
@Zambiaisours. Yes, DRC has administrative devolution, which is a form of decentralization.
Our relationship with DRC is better than with any of our neighbors, what more do we need. I guess there was just nothing better to talk about.
Zambia can really benefit because it is a huge market. I had the privilege of entering the DRC through Kipushi Border Post from Solwezi, all I could see in Shops were mainly Zambian products. Let the trade be formalized.