By Lubinda Haabazoka
About the US proposed AFRICOM office in Zambia
I have been thinking whether to write about this or not but sometimes it’s better to add a voice to something than sit back and regret in future.
This article should be read without political emotions. It should also be read as advice from a citizen and not aggression. Sober discourse should be encouraged at all times.
It’s no doubt that the United States of America is Zambia’s major cooperating partner. The United States plays a major role in Zambia’s economic agenda and thus Zambia should always maintain a good relationship with it.
Apart from the United States of America, Russia, European Union, United Kingdom, Japan and China all play a major role in Zambia’s economic development agenda.
In fact, the DR Congo, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania and Mozambique are major trading partners of Zambia and also very important.
Against this backdrop, it is very clear that no country can develop in isolation.
Zambia’s military was built largely by the Soviet Union and China. These two countries never set up any command center in Zambia because our position has always been neutral.
With all due respect to what the USA does to Zambia, I think it’s not very wise to start having AFRICOM offices in Zambia at a time that aggression between NATO and Russia/China is at its highest.
We need as a country to really think through this very carefully without emotions. This write up is not a rebuttal to anyone but just like a citizen, am trying provoke a sober debate that will persuade the USA to shelve their plans.
I don’t think we have terrorist threats or any other wars for the USA to come and command from Zambia. They never commanded anything when we had Ian Smith bombing us everyday.
As we debate this issue, let’s avoid political emotions. It’s not about politics. President Mwanawasa and then opposition President Sata put away their political differences to reject AFRICOM in 2007. Am very positive that the same reasons they gave then are valid even today.
I hold the USA in high esteem. They can set up a Tesler or General Motors factory here anytime but not AFRICOM. Zambia needs access to US and European markets. Foreign military presence is not our priority.
AFRICOM exists to protect US interests. What if in an election in Zambia the porpular candidate says they will look towards China and not US, will the US sit idle and let the popular candidate win an election knowing that US interests will be at stake should a candidate win? That is why we don’t need any US command, Russian command or any other command in Zambia. Instead we should at creating a SADC coordinating force. A force that will boost African military independence. Africa knows what it wants.
When we used to live in kingdoms, Britain came with a bible and military protection to our chiefs. By the time we woke up, we were a colony and lived in a segregated society. Mineral resources were all taken by the British South African company. I think we should be more careful this time.
Let’s help our government make a right decision