ZAMBIA SHOULD HAVE ABSTAINED
By Amb.Emmanuel Mwamba
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted an important resolution.
The non-binding Resolution, which was voted in, demands that Russia withdraws from Ukraine.
141 countries voted for the resolution while 35 states abstained and 5 states voted against it.
HISTORY
Zambia has a long-standing foreign policy promoting peace, negotiating peace and implementing non-aligned policies.
For this purpose Zambia is an active member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) which played a key role in reducing tensions especially during the Cold War.
The Cold War was a period of geo-political tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Blo, and the Eastern Bloc, which began after the World War II.
NAM is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
ZAMBIA RUSSIA RELATIONSHIPS
Zambia has warm and long-standing bilateral relationship with RUSSIA and the recent development of the Zambia Atomic Agency to promote nuclear energy was done in collaboration with the Federation of Russia.
Similarly Russia’s historical sacrificial role to the liberation struggle in Southern Africa contributed to the speedy independence of many states including Mozambique, Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
We also must mention that Zambia’s military capabilities is based largely on equipment sourced from Russia and China.
ZAMBIA -USA, EU RELATIONS
But we also enjoy good bilateral relations with the USA and the European Union.
The two power blocks support Zambia’s social sectors and are among the largest contributor to our health sector budget.
It is in this light that, in my humble view, Zambia should have abstained like the 35 countries that did so.
Further Zambia is renowned for its peace efforts, peace building, conflict resolution and it promotes dialogue between the warring or belligerent parties, an international role our leaders have traditionally played to bring peace in the world.
When we take a side, this role is diminished or undermined.