By Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba
MMD Leader and Former Republican Vice President
Voting in favour of the resolution was the right thing to do, and is consistent with the principles of Zambia’s foreign policy which we first formally codified in 1969.
The action by Russia has breached some of these principles, including:
i) the inviolability of national borders;
ii) the respect for sovereignty & territorial integrity of States;
iii) the non-use of force, or threat of force, in the settlement of disputes;
iv) the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force;
v) non-support for the unilateral declaration of independence or illegal cessation of territory; amongst others.
These principles are enshrined in the UN Charter & the Constitutive Act of the African Union.
The UN has established mechanisms for addressing disputes, including that of security concerns, which Russia could have utilized, rather than to take unilateral direct action, as it did.
It’s only by standing on principle, and not on whether one is friend or foe, that we can justify the positions we should take during such votes. This is what gives us the moral high ground to support the Palestinians or Western Sahara, or the Malvinas (Falklands), or Chagos (recently), etc.
There are many missteps done by Ukraine & Western countries, and plenty of history that may give sympathy to Russia’s grievances, but not to the point of justifying the invasion. Indeed, other big countries have done similar things, to different degrees. All of these are unacceptable.
In our view, war is unacceptable. It should be made a crime against humanity.
The argument by some that Zambia has changed her foreign policy by this vote is misplaced. It is important to note that the policy of non-aligned status existed during the time of the cold war. It is not our permanent foreign policy. What is permanent is our policy of promoting peace both at home and abroad. Zambia is globally known as the country of peace, and any time we are presented with a choice between peace and war, we shall always choose peace. Recently at the UN, the opportunity to choose between peace and war presented itself and we voted for peace. This is who we are and this is our foreign policy.
This decision however does not imply that we have turned our backs against our all-weather friend, Russia. We have only rejected the proposition of war. We have voted against the war and not Russia.
I am sure Russia would vote the same way if Zambia unilaterally invaded Malawi without exhausting all the available mechanisms at our disposal. We have opportunities to resolve such conflicts at Bilateral, Regional(SADC), Continental(AU), and finally at International levels (UN).
The UN GeneralAssembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution demanding that Russia immediately end its military operations in Ukraine. Zambia voted for this resolution along with other 140 nations.
With due respect, Pastor Mumba educate yourself on world politics. I remind you on how Russian ships laden with nuclear missiles returned to Russia to avert a nuclear war. In 1962 the US couldn’t allow Cuba to deploy Russian missiles on their land. The US surrounded the whole of Cuba on orders from President Kennedy. Similarly, Russia can’t allow Ukraine to join NATO. Leave these kind of politics to the experts. Don’t just comment in order to be seen as having said something
Our comments are being moderated the moment we want to remind the world about the events of 1962 about the Cuban missile crisis. We have expressed ourselves under other forums
NATO and the US must behave themselves. Their push to dominate the whole world might lead us to a nuclear war
America and JFK had guts in 1962 and put Russia in its place swifly
Today America has little respect for other country invasions and make wrong decisions
Its too late now for them to show any strength
This is not 1962; it’s 2022. Diplomacy is the way to go. Ukraine just like Africa was under colonialism for too long and now it’s trying to charter its destine. They want to be part of the EU for that is the path to democracy and prosperity. We all need to support them, respective.
There is no need to respond on here in paragraphs as LT will moderate you for nothiing and your comment wont appear so you will just waste your time and energy. Its alright to recite the UN charter when it suits you Mumba where is it when in Israel is ever encroaching on Palestinian land.
Zambia’s voting on aggression/occupation related resolutions at the UN General Assembly has been consistent since 1964. So the UPND did the right thing.The records are available on the UN website.
2022 Aggression against Ukraine – Y
1991 Situation of human rights in Kuwait under Iraqi occupation -Y
1986 Armed Israeli aggression against the Iraqi nuclear installations – Y
1985 Armed Israeli aggression against the Iraqi nuclear installations – Y
1985 situation in Namibia resulting from the illegal occupation of the territory by South Africa – Y
1984 Armed Israeli aggression against the Iraqi nuclear installations -Y
1982 Armed Israeli aggression against Iraqi nuclear installations -Y
1981 Armed Israeli aggression against the Iraqi nuclear installations – Y
1973 Illegal occupation…
Hh is too excited and can’t believe he is president. He has never been in public office so doesn’t understand the implications of things he does. This f00I can get us implicated in a war. For him he can easily run away to Europe because he is a chola boy for the imperialist. It is us who will remain suffering
Sipinya Ndongo – You want to talk about diplomacy …go and read the Russian–Ukrainian Friendship Treaty and this what the Western backed govt has been doing in the last 5 years. I commented in length about this on the Kalaba article but waiting for LT to moderate. Guys dont just watch CNN and BBC go out there on line and research put the pieces together …also watch Russell Brand on YouTube he talks “common” sense backed by facts.
Sipinya Ndongo – You want to talk about diplomacy …go and read the Russian–Ukrainian Friendship Treaty and this what the Western backed govt has been doing in the last 5 years. I commented in length about this on the Kalaba article but waiting for LT to moderate. Guys dont just watch C NN and BB C go out there on line and research put the pieces together …also watch Russell Brand on You_Tube he talks “common” sense backed by facts.
Your comment is awaiting moderation X 2
Hungary & Romania have approved visa free entry for Nigerians. Jamaica has provided transport to help those stranded in Ukraine get across the border. falling victim to blatant racism. Even the UN admits that refugees are facing racism at the border.
Meanwhile our foooooolish leaders are there appeasing the busungus …look at Jamaica shaming all you
It may not be about who violated which UN rules but the cost of taking sides. Zambian government has sent students to study in Russia have you forgotten? Would you assume they are not there? I leave the mandate on this issue to government.
This makaka Nevers Mumba should just ask HH for a job instead of becoming head of HH’s praise singers…Nevers Mumba is also a thief…he stole embassy furniture in Canada
Stfu Kaizar Zero ,our respectable president HH does not support aggressor states.
People should ask this Nevers Mumba guy what happened to MMD….useless makaka and if HH government decided to vote against the resolution still he was going to support HH……this is what hunger can do…and people like Nevers Mumba only think you can’t survive and earn a living outside Politics
HOW DOES ONE NEGOTIATE WITH A DICTATOR ?
Pastor Mumba would have supported any stance the Government was going to take. He’s still hoping for an appointment… anything DC, Foreign Service, Minister… anything.
@Deja Vu, LOL. Ati anything even being a DC! I feel Mumba should keep quiet for now. He seems to believe it’s a huge deal that he was once Vice President and therefore suited to be a President or politician.
Ba Nevers, what’s wrong with just abstaining? You just say we are neither for Russia nor for Ukraine. Nobody can put you to sword with this position, but to carelessly expose our selves like that? You have been a diplomat before , you should know better.
#20 Anthony Bwalya Upnd….he was an untrained diplomat.
People cant be butchered in a war and you are watching that I am sitting on the fence, that I am abstaining. So why God give you brains. And the thinking that because USA refused Cuba to have nuclear war heads in Cuba in 1962 should give Russia the authority to kill Ukranians is as flawed as ever before. War can not be justified on any given day in this century.
That the majority of countries voted against Russia shows you that we are on the right side of history, no debate here. The unjustified bloodshed and displacement of people should stop now. Ukrain’s sin is just to be geographically located next to a bully, nothing else
Because western countries have made mistakes against Russia cannot be a justification for bloodshed, the war is not justified. Why should innocent civilians in Ukraine suffer on account that western countries did this or that
Should Russia or the USA dictate to Ukraine, an independent sovereign, how they run their affairs? Thats the bottom line.
Zambia would have done well to abstain from voting against Russia. Given its long history of peace, Zambia should have instead taken the side of dialogue between Russia and Ukraine and not that of sanctions against Russia which is only escalating conflict. Ukrainian President Zelensky was in the news recently calling for one-to-one talks with Putin. Had Zelensky requested for such a meeting with Putin in Russia before the war, we would not probably being seeing the gruesome pictures we are receiving from Ukraine. Sanctions against Russia are only escalating conflict as Putin is referring to them as a declaration of war against Russia on the part of western countries. With the war that is now raging, both Ukraine and Zambia stand to lose. Zambia has embarked on a Nuclear Science and…
Technology Project with enormous benefits in many areas such as those of nuclear medicine in the treatment of cancer and overactive thyroid which have become common these days. For instance, under Phase I of the project, the Russian Government has committed to supporting Zambia to adequately prepare for management and utilisation of the Technology Project further once the Russians abandon this as a result of the position the UPND government has taken against Russia. Western countries would rather see a situation where Zambia is dependent on them and not self-sufficient in nuclear medicine. Zambia would have done well to abstain just as Ukraine would have done well to seek peace with its militarily stronger Russian neighbour.