By Staff
Correspondent, Lusaka ZAMBIA
Zambia’s Ambassador
to the United States of America, Lazarous Kapambwe, is reported to have been
expelled from that country, according to the Democratic Party President Harry
Kalaba.
Ambassador Kapambwe was scheduled to present his credentials to
President Donald Trump on 7th February 2020.
Kalaba says the American government has retaliated because American
Ambassador to Zambia, Daniel Foot, was unfairly treated by the government for
merely expressing his opinion on the imprisonment of the Kapiri gay men.
Kalaba says Zambia will have to bear the consequences for poorly
handling its diplomatic relations with the USA.
Ambassador Foote was recently asked to leave Zambia by the authorities
after he condemned the imprisonment of two gays for indulging in sex against
the order of nature to 15 years with hard labour.
Efforts to get a comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proved
futile.
And opposition Democratic Party Spokesperson, Judith Kabemba, said the
party learnt with concern the expulsion of Ambassador Kapambwe from Washington
DC by the US Government in line with the principal of reciprocity that governs
international diplomacy.
“It is the DPs view that the Zambian government was excessive in the
manner they handled the issue of Ambassador Daniel Foote and in clear
demonstration of complete ignorance and failure to learn and understand
diplomacy in-spite of being the number 1 diplomat for the last 6 years,
President Lungu’s unstrained utterances and behavior has led to constraining of
the beautiful relations Zambia has had with our true friends and comrades
across main fronts including health and water improvements among others,” Kabemba
said.
“The DP notes the precarious path that the government under President
Lungu has chosen to take, which if not addressed will continue to negatively
impact the country’s economy.”
She said the DP leadership would like to condemn the government and
admonish President Edgar Lungu, and further challenging him to address this
issue without further delay so as not to allow deterioration of the bilateral
ties that the United States and Zambia have enjoyed through the many protocols and
bilateral agreements that have existed between two countries.
“Finally, I would like to commend the US government for the professional
and quiet manner they have handled the issue. If President Lungu’s government
had chosen to deal with this matter in such a diplomatic way, the outcome would
have been different.”
She added, “We urge our government to quickly address this issue as well
as the many other challenges affecting the nation.” – Lusaka Times
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