ZAMBIA'S AMBASSADOR TO USA EXPELLED

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