Zambia and the European Union have reaffirmed a broad political and economic partnership, with an EU election observation mission under consideration ahead of the country’s 2026 general elections, as President Hichilema seeks investment shift in EU partnership talks.

The engagement followed a formal EU-Zambia Partnership Dialogue held on 26 February, bringing together cabinet ministers, diplomats and senior officials to assess cooperation across governance, trade and development priorities.

European Union representatives confirmed that an exploratory team is already in Zambia to assess the feasibility of deploying a full election observation mission, following an invitation from the government. The move signals continued EU involvement in Zambia’s electoral process, framed as support for democratic institutions and transparency.

Karolina Stasiak, Ambassador of the European Union to Zambia, said the dialogue reinforced shared commitments to democracy, inclusive development and a rules-based international order. She described the partnership as anchored in trust, predictability and common principles, with both sides positioning themselves as reliable partners in a shifting global landscape.

The discussions took place against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and pressure on multilateral systems. EU officials said the evolving global environment has increased the importance of stable bilateral relationships capable of delivering tangible outcomes for citizens.

A central pillar of the talks focused on Zambia’s economic trajectory, with both sides aligning around a transition from recovery to growth. President Hakainde Hichilema told the meeting that the country is now prioritising expansion following progress in restructuring public debt, a process supported by international partners including EU member states.

He said remaining elements of the debt restructuring process must be concluded to unlock the next phase of economic activity. The President referenced ongoing engagements with individual European countries, including recent agreements with Italy, as part of efforts to finalise outstanding obligations.

Hichilema urged European partners to accelerate bilateral processes, stating that the full value of their support would only be realised once debt restructuring is fully settled. He framed the completion of this process as essential to sustaining Zambia’s macroeconomic stability and enabling long-term growth.

The EU delegation outlined its investment strategy under the Global Gateway initiative, describing a comprehensive approach combining infrastructure development, policy support and private sector engagement. The Lobito Corridor emerged as a flagship project during the discussions, with officials highlighting its potential to improve regional connectivity and attract international investment.

EU representatives said investor interest in Zambia has been rising following the Lobito Corridor Business Forum held in Lusaka, with increased attention from European and global stakeholders. They stressed that predictable regulatory frameworks and transparent governance systems remain critical to sustaining that momentum.

Green transition initiatives also featured prominently. The EU reaffirmed its support for Zambia’s environmental goals through programmes such as the EU-Zambia Forest Partnership, which targets sustainable land use, biodiversity protection and community-based value chains. Climate-smart agriculture was identified as a priority area linking environmental policy to economic resilience.

Both sides reflected on environmental risks following the Kafue River pollution incident, noting the need for stronger oversight and accountability in strategic sectors. EU officials emphasised that economic development must be matched by adherence to environmental, social and governance standards.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mulambo Haimbe said the dialogue confirmed the strength of Zambia’s relationship with the EU, describing it as growing and grounded in shared values. He reiterated the government’s openness to election observation, stating that external monitoring strengthens democratic credibility.

Haimbe also pointed to Zambia’s role in regional and global institutions, including its participation in discussions on United Nations Security Council reform. He said Zambia continues to seek EU support on governance reforms within multilateral structures.

President Hichilema used the platform to highlight global instability as a direct risk to Zambia’s economic outlook. He cited ongoing conflicts, including the Ukraine-Russia war and tensions in the Middle East, as factors likely to disrupt fuel prices and broader macroeconomic stability.

He warned that such external shocks, though beyond Zambia’s control, could affect domestic programmes and growth targets. The President stressed that cooperation with partners like the EU would be critical in navigating these pressures.

Hichilema also positioned Zambia as an active regional actor, referencing its current and incoming roles within the Southern African Development Community and its involvement in African Union reform processes. He said these roles create opportunities to align regional integration efforts with international partnerships.

The President called for a shift toward joint ventures and deeper business collaboration between Zambia and European partners, moving away from traditional aid-driven models. He said shared investment and market access would deliver more meaningful outcomes for both sides.

The aspiring candidate said the case was not rooted in justice but in politics, casting the charge as part of a wider effort to drag opposition figures into court and away from the campaign trail. He spoke during Costa’s Cross-Examination on Diamond TV, where he was pressed on the charges, his release on police bond and the effect the case could have on his bid for the presidency with 144 days left before polling day.

Mundubile said the pattern, in his view, had become familiar in Zambia’s opposition politics. He argued that leaders who speak against President Hakainde Hichilema and the government are increasingly confronted with legal trouble that consumes time and public attention. His argument was that arrests, court appearances and bond conditions carry a political cost even before any matter is tested in court.

He rejected the case against him as a genuine criminal process and said the events surrounding his detention reinforced that belief. In his account, officers first approached him at the airport shortly before departure, questioned him over a range of names and alleged contacts, then later took him into detention before a different matter was placed before him the following morning. He described that sequence as disjointed and said it did not show a straight line from inquiry to charge.

According to Mundubile, the first interaction took place about 40 minutes before takeoff while he was in the VIP lounge. He said two men approached him, identified themselves as being from the Office of the President and began asking whether he knew several individuals, among them Walid Fendley, Moise Katumbi, former Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila, Xavier Chungu and Sparks Mining. He said some names were known to him only in passing, while he denied having had direct contact or discussions with others.

He said the questioning grew more serious when officers told him they were worried by what they described as his activities and suggested he was involved in actions that could “put this country on fire.” Mundubile said he challenged that line directly, asking them to specify what they meant and to provide particulars. He said no detailed explanation was given and that the officers instead searched three of his phones using equipment at the scene.

Mundubile said he cooperated during the process but warned the officers that he considered the search unlawful because, in his account, there was no warrant and no formal arrest at that stage. He said he also reminded them that he was accessible as a member of parliament and did not need to be intercepted at the airport if authorities had a legitimate matter to put before him. In his telling, the manner of the intervention deepened his suspicion that the operation was designed for effect as much as for investigation.

He said the charge eventually brought against him did not even match the earlier questioning. Mundubile told the programme that after several hours at the airport and additional hours before being placed in police cells, officers returned the next morning with a matter he linked to an older case involving one of his media personnel. He said he was then accused of aiding, abetting and related offences, which he argued had little connection to the names and alleged plots raised the previous evening.

That gap between the first inquiry and the eventual charge sat at the centre of his political argument. Mundubile said it showed the process was assembled to inconvenience him rather than to pursue a clear criminal complaint. He said the intention was to interrupt his trajectory and prevent him from freely campaigning and marketing his message to citizens at a time when opposition politics are tightening ahead of the election.

The charge now lands in a wider political climate already marked by tension between the ruling party and opposition camps. Mundubile used the interview to place his experience alongside other opposition figures facing detention or criminal proceedings, arguing that many of those cases are political rather than substantive. He said the treatment of some former Patriotic Front figures had created an impression that anybody associated with the previous ruling party risked being branded corrupt or criminal before a court had reached any finding.

That argument was challenged repeatedly in the interview. Costa pressed him on whether citizens should worry that figures from the former ruling establishment, including Mundubile himself, carry unresolved questions from their time in office. Mundubile answered by saying guilt must be proved in court, not settled on political platforms, and he maintained that many public allegations over the past five years had not translated into convictions.

He also used the platform to present the arrest as a test of political freedom and civil rights. He said Zambia had entered a period where citizens could not speak, move or assemble freely in the way a functioning democracy demands. In that framing, his detention was not only a personal legal matter but part of a bigger struggle over how open the political field will be in the run-up to polling day.

The issue now moves from the television studio to the courts, where the state’s case and Mundubile’s defence will be tested formally. Yet the political impact is already in motion. For his supporters, the arrest may harden the image of a candidate under pressure from the state. For his rivals and critics, it opens a fresh line of scrutiny over conduct, associations and his readiness to carry a presidential campaign under legal strain.

What is already clear is that Mundubile has chosen not to retreat into a legal defence alone. He is treating the arrest as campaign material, folding it into a larger message that he is being targeted because he poses a political threat. That line is likely to remain part of his stump message as long as the case remains active and the election clock keeps moving.

Credit: Diamond TV