Zambia says it has called on two regional bodies — the African Union and Southern African Development Community — to mediate talks with neighboring Zimbabwe.
Zambian officials say the diplomatic fallout with neighboring Zimbabwe stems from remarks that Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa shared with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a recent visit to Russia. Namely the accusation that the U.S. has been militarizing Zambia to consolidate power in the region and isolate Zimbabwe.
In a televised speech in parliament Thursday, Zambia Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe rejected Mnangagwa's statement as “an unwarranted attack on Zambia's sovereignty.” He also said Lusaka, which has historically strong ties with its neighbor, wants to maintain cordial relations with it, the U.S. and Russia.
“For example, in March this year, Zambia was one of the first countries, that called the United States of America, and the European Union to remove sanctions against Zimbabwe when the United States of America imposed new sanctions." Haimbesaid. "Regrettably, however, madam speaker, the sentiments expressed by his excellency President Mnangagwa do not appear to accord with the warm relations highlighted above."
Both the Southern African Development Community and Africa Union, to which both Zambia and Zimbabwe are members, could not be reached for comment Friday. Jenfan Muswere, Zimbabwe’s information minister, played down any deteriorating relations between Lusaka and Harare when reached for comment Friday by VOA.
“We are a friend to all and an enemy to none. Zambia is our neighbor, and a geographical reality with a long history from the federal days, all the way to the contributions that we were together during the liberation struggle," Muswere said. "And at the same time that we are Siamese twins, I might be able to be aware of some of the questions that he (Haimbe) refers to. But we are a friend to all and an enemy to none.”
Dr. Alexander Rusero — an international relations professor at Africa University in Zimbabwe — said Zambia is simply retaliating and expressing displeasure to President Mnangagwa’s comments.
“But there is absolutely nothing wrong diplomatically with regards to what President Mnangagwa did," he said. "Zimbabwe has every reason to worry, against the realities of a Zambia that is being militarized. And every neighbor should be worried when such developments happen. And remember, Zimbabwe and United States of America’s relations, they are somehow still very frosty. So, whenever there are developments next door, Zimbabwe has to be worried. But with regards to the utterances President Mnangagwa made, it’s the public leak which maybe erroneous. But not the utterances themselves because it was a head of state expressing security concerns with regarding a neighbor being militarized by Zimbabwe’s adversary so to speak.”
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has denied that his country is being militarized by the U.S. He says Zambia’s army has exchange programs with a number of countries including the U.S., and that that should not be mistaken for the U. S. setting up a base in Zambia.