THE Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) says it deeply regrets the developments which have led to the recall of US Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote.
MMD Party president Nevers Mumba said the US was an extremely important and strategic partner.
“We had stated in our earlier release at the time of the confrontation that the temporal fallout between the United States and Zambia should be resolved through a bilateral round table and should not be accelerated by public statements from either side,” he said.
“The United States is an extremely important and strategic partner. Our relationship spans over a period of 55 years. Under the leadership of the MMD, we had several disagreements with the US but we always used the diplomatic channels which are imbedded within the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.”
He said this temporal setback was unnecessary and should have been avoided.
“As MMD, we believe that expelling the Ambassador (while it is our right) could have been avoided if dialogue had preceded the action by [Ministry of] Foreign Affairs,” said Mumba.
“MMD therefore reiterates her call for a quick bilateral dialogue to resolve this temporal setback. The Zambian people have always treasured the cordial relations that have existed between our two countries. We remain confident that this breach shall soon be fixed.”
Washington has asked ambassador Foote to return since the host cannot guarantee his safety and diplomatic protocol.
Too late. It appears mumba is scared of pf. Why is he scared to call pf useless and scatter brains. Cause that is what they are. He appears to be sat on the fence on the matter. There is only one opposition party in zambia which is willing to stand up for what’s right at whatever cost. That is the upnd
It may not seem OK to him but it’s alright for Zambia. We don’t need envoys that interfere with our authorities. It is high time they treated us as equal partners and learnt to hold their space. We are not refusing that we have problems, but so do they – however, you will not hear our Ambassador criticize their president for his faults. That’s not in the job-description of an Ambassador.
I personally feel Americans have moved on, their diplomacy over this issue is top notch , they simply recalled their citizen because you don’t want him and you has hosts can’t guarantee his security.
You played your piece, they have just moved their Knight, and its check so its you to move your King to suitable position, if you don’t it will soon be a checkmate. Choose you moves wisely guys.
@flag Nine Chale, we cannot be equal partners when we are always begging and depending on their aid. May be Britain can call America equal partner, not us.
What do you know about being president or Minister Foreign Affairs?
Forget corrupt Foote, he is gone. History.
Let look to the future.
Mumba, you do have a point. Foote should have asked for an audience with Lungu using the Diplomatic protocol. But don’t worry, the USA will send another Ambassador to Zambia at some point in future.
Zambia is an open society that has been a beacon of hope when it comes to General Elections and Change-of-Power. The USA and other western nations are sick and tired stopping civil wars birthed from General Elections disputes in developing nations
cont..
There is a reason why the USA built the new big embassy complex in Ibex Hill, the second-largest in Africa to Cairo in Egypt. It’s because they want to stamp their presence in Zambia and Southern Africa, where China is making inroads.
More reason why they requested to build a Military-Base in Mpika, Zambia, but the Zambian government opposed to the idea in 2001 when you were Vice President to Levy.
The recall of the USA ambassador has little to do with Zambia-America relationship, really. If anything, Trump wouldn’t support ambassador Foote’s gay rights activism in Zambia. Secondly, we don’t need ambassadors who act like colonial administrators in Zambia. Zambia is not a colony of America, nor is it an American protectorate. Ambassadors in Zambia should respect Zambian laws, values and traditions. If they don’t like it, they can always ask to be transferred somewhere else. Zambian ambassadors in America have no say in how America is run. If they did, they would be thrown out real quick. So why should a US ambassador feel that he has a right to interfere in a sovereign country’s laws? Hello?
Foote called the pf our on their corruption—He’s a hero in my book!
Nervers naiwe.
Focus on Party rebuilding.
Mr. Foote put all this wrangle in public domain by calling for a press conference and in this conference he showed his arrogance beacase he had a bag of dollars for Zambia. America as country is okay but Mr. Foote is a wrong person who was trying to resolve Zambian problems in a wrong way.
Yes. He doesn’t even have the capacity to resolve any Zambian problems. He better read his job-description again.
Lungu has definitely put his foot in this one.
The diplomat’s recall is a good thing cuz Washington shouldn’t dictate Zambia’s values.MMD is wrong here.
I think in this matter it is important to distinguish the US Government from mr Foote. Mr Foote made several actions which appear to be inconsistent with US foreign policy. I also think there might be a difference between re-call and expulsion . I also have not seen anything from US state Departments statement which suggests strained relations between the US and Zambia.
Washington recalled Mr.foote.No Zambian has ever expel Mr.foote.
Government wrote to Washington to highlight their displeasure with Mr.foote on domestic policies.The US department of foreign policy replied to Zambia by calling Mr.foote back home.
Some bloggers especially foreign based are fond of writing that Zambia is begging help from US I have never heard Zambian government BEGGING assistance from US except for bilateral ties through various developmental projects.That is a total misconception.
The ignorance of the general PF cadre to how strategic the US is to the economic wellbeing of Zambia is wholly suicidal. Now that the US us curtailing their balance of payments support to Zambia, you will soon enough know what’s worse than kunya bebele!
Persona non grata.
Says the former Man of the pulpit, instead of siding with zero option against the blasphemy of homosexuality that his God abhors.
This God illusion has surely demented Zambia as a country! Nobody today can claim to have seen this super being and now even stinking thieves like Lungu can use the foolishness to hoodwink Zambians into docility while their coffers are looted. The next president must outlaw religion in Zambia, it has created a nation of the living brain dead imbeciles, kaufela mina mu zanganu.
Useless Man
“We had stated in our earlier release at the time of the confrontation that the temporal fallout between the United States and Zambia should be resolved through a bilateral round table and should not be accelerated by public statements from either side,” he said. -LT
“Speaking Out on Gay Rights and Corruption Costs Ambassador His Job.
Speaking Out on Gay Rights and Corruption Costs Ambassador His Job
Zambia’s president wanted U.S. Ambassador Daniel Foote gone after he criticized the government for corruption and for sending a gay couple to prison.”- The New York Times.
When major newspapers picks up a story its like jury, to decide whether the facts warrant an indictment of the defendant.
Bilateral and diplomatic channels is for well connected people.
Ambassador Foote was off side.
In July 2019,British Ambassador to the United States, Kim Darrock resigned after a series of diplomatic cables revealed he had told 10 Downing Street the Trump Administration was “inept and clumsy.”
The resignation was announced by the British Foreign Office after President Trump made it clear he would no longer work the Ambassador. He did this via a series of blistering twitter attacks and not a de marche.President Trump further attacked then Prime Minister May for saying her government had full confidence in Ambassador Kim Darrock.
The tweet read:”What a mess she and her representatives have created.I do not know the Ambassador, but he is not liked or well thought of within the US.We will longer deal with him. ”
Now this is Ambassador Foote’s boss…
Now this is Ambassador Foote’s boss reacting to diplomatic cables using not a demarche but tweets. The Zambian government protests against Ambassador Foote’s lack of diplomatic etiquette using normal diplomatic channels,issues from non issues are raised.
By the way,is there any Ambassador accredited to the US who has commented(not hold a press briefing) on the ongoing impeachment trial against President Trump?
SO IF MR. NEVERS MUMBA WERE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA HE COULD HAVE ENTERTAINED THE NONSENSE FROM MR. FOOTE, THE USA AMBASSADOR TO ZAMBIA? THATS WHY ONE WONDERS WHAT SOME PEOPLE ARE DOING IN POLITICS OF ZAMBIA. ITS LIKE ITS A PASS TIME ACTIVITY FOR THEM. THEY CANT THINK, LACK INTELLIGENCE, NO PROPER STRATEGIES! SO WHAT ARE YOU THERE FOR?
We expect persons who hold a PhD degree to be well drilled in intellectual comprehension of the world’s political dynamics. Nevers Mumba is weird for demonstrating his lack of understanding the tenets of DIPLOMACY – a concept the USA is reputed to judiciously uphold on Planet Earth. Ambassador Foote blundered by straying into uncivilized approach to executing diplomacy in Africa, and thus exposing the USA into ridicule. Incidentally, the USA Govt has responded appropriately by recalling its erring Ambassador. Nevers Mumba was a Diplomat who failed to learn diplomacy – and hence his recall from Canada.
Did Nevers Mumba hold any press conference when he was High Commissioner in Canada?
But Nevers Mumba was subject to a Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation in to bribes and corruption with mining companies while High Commission in Canada, however he escaped under diplomatic immunity. and by the way Malamula what does this have to do with the US/Zambia relations . Canada has nothing to do with the US separate country and its like comparing Zambia with Botswana over a issue Zambia has with South Africa.
This from a man who was recalled for abuse of office during his diplomatic spell. Your friend Foote will not sponsor you. When he’s gone he is gone. Mission complete, they will send us another CIA agent to continue the mission to secretly extract our high-grade uranium. At least these guys are not pretending to build some bogus nuclear power station.
FYI, Trump frequently acknowledges and thanks his gay supporters. A LGBTG Republican organization called Log Cabin has even endorsed him for 2020. So claiming he would have opposed Foote’s point of view is bull. The Ambassador was withdrawn because (a) it was no longer safe for him there and (b) he was no longer able to conduct diplomacy with Zambia’s ruling kleptocracy.