Zambia is Not Sitting Idle, Levy Tells French Envoy

By Chansa Kabwela

Lusaka — ZAMBIA is not just sitting idle waiting for the international community to solve its problems, President Levy Mwanawasa has said.

And incoming French ambassador to Zambia, Francis Saudubray, said the future of Africa lay in the hands of the local people.

Receiving credentials from ambassadors of France, Serbia, and Montenegro, and Morocco, President Mwanawasa said much as Zambia had various challenges to face such as poverty and HIV/AIDS, efforts were being made to contain the problems.

President Mwanawasa also expressed sadness at the loss of 45 Kawambwa High School pupils and 51 BGRIMM workers, saying that Zambia had been robbed of a crucial human resource that would never be replaced.

"Zambia faces a great challenge in the fight against HIV and AIDS, which is robbing the nation of its vital human resource at a time when they would contribute more to Zambia's development," President Mwanawasa said.

"HIV has created other social problems such as increased numbers of street children and orphans. The multiplier effect of the scourge has contributed to high poverty levels. But we are not just sitting waiting for the international community to help us."

President Mwanawasa said the government was committed to the development of the private sector and had signed a number of agreements for the promotion of investment with European Union member states.

He hailed France for its continued support to Zambia and said that the French government should re-instate the embassy's economic section to Zambia.

"Zambia is committed to ensuring political and economic stability both locally and in the region," he said.

President Mwanawasa further hailed Serbia (former Yugoslavia) for its great strides towards territorial harmony and sovereignty.

He said Zambia's relations with Serbia would continue in sectors such as education and transport, adding that there was a need for enhanced cooperation both politically and economically.

President Mwanawasa further called for increased trade between Zambia and Morocco.

"Morocco has made great strides in the tourism sector and Zambia can learn from that. Morocco should also reconsider its stance regarding its withdrawal from the African Union in that it played a crucial role in the formation of the then Organisation of African Union," President Mwanawasa said.

And Ambassador Saudubray said although France and Europe had a policy for Africa, which espoused peace, development and stability, Africa could stand on its own.

"France salutes all African initiatives of the African Union, Southern African Development Commission and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and it will take sides with you to strengthen your peacekeeping capacity. Apart from helping in various areas, such as education, France will cancel over K600 billion (100 million euros) of debt, since Zambia has reached the Highly Indebted Poor Countries completion point," ambassador Saudubray said.

"France, being the largest donor among the G8, will continue to advocate a multipolar world, characterised by respect, tolerance and dialogue. France has also taken measures to stabilise the price of raw materials on which export earnings for African countries depend. We support fair trade with African countries, especially in cotton. "

Ambassador Saudubray, who also expressed his condolences on the death of 45 Kawambwa pupils and 51 BGRIMM workers who perished recently, urged Zambia to ensure political stability and economic development in the eastern and southern regions of Africa.

He said human rights and democracy were inseparable from the fight for development.

And Serbia and Montenegro ambassador to Zambia Srdjan Hofman said Zambia, as a country, was an example of political stability and economic development.

Ambassador Hofman said Serbia, despite having experienced a painful transition, would continue to advance bilateral relationships.

"Zambia has a successful struggle for sustainable economic development and as part of our global policy, Serbia will continue to advance ties in areas such as technology transfer and politics. There is a need to re-establish future development of economic, cultural and scientific collaborations and broaden cooperation of experts to ensure that our two nations benefit greatly," Ambassador Hofman said.

And Moroccan ambassador to Zambia Abdella Aitelhadj, based in Angola, said the time had come for Zambia and Morocco to interact fully through ministerial exchange visits.

Ambassador Aitelhadj said Morocco would continue to promote solidarity and peace on the African continent to ensure brotherhood.

Source: https://allafrica.com/stories/200504290749.html

Zambia: US, UK Tactics Are Not Working

By Sheikh Chifuwe

Lusaka — AMERICAN and British tactics against Iraq are not working, observed retired Zambia Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Hannania Lungu yesterday.

Lt.Gen. Lungu, a fighter pilot, underwent his military training in United Kingdom with the Royal Air Force in 1968 and had further training in Yugoslavia, Russia, India and Italy.

He said war planning from 'boardrooms' never exactly worked out the way the planners wanted it to be because when soldiers got on the ground certain things changed. Lt. Gen. Lungu, a former Zambia's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, said a war was not won by weaponry superiority but people's will and determination.

"If I am planning from an air conditioned office and I send my men out, the situation there is different, the men should be convinced that what they are fighting for is a just cause," Lt. Gen. Lungu said.

" They are saying that they have bombed their targets in Iraq but people (Iraq leaders) are still talking, their tactics don't seem to be working which means the war will be a protracted one." And reacting to the coalition's reportedly attack on their targets in Baghdad, Lt. Gen. Lungu said, "in war, when you hit a target you don't go back there.

If you go back it means your tact is not effective at all." He said the will of defending a country would not die and that the people of Iraq would continue to fight even if there was an installation of another government.

Lt. Gen. Lungu said the real revolution of any country was initiated and implemented by its own people and not outsiders.

He said the invaders had created a hostile situation which would make it difficult to run a government because there would be a lot of suspicion. Lt. Gen. Lungu said the problems being created by United States President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair would engulf the entire world.

"If it came to fighting for Zambia for example, even as I have retired like this I would volunteer because I know that if my country is at risk there will be nobody else but me to fight," Lt. Gen. Lungu said. "And with that kind of a determination I don't think anyone can overcome us."

He said if the mind was weak and resigned, people would fight unwillingly and were bound to lose the war against their enemy. Lt. Gen. Lungu said soldiers always asked themselves what they were fighting for when they went to the battle front.

He said as a junior officer when he was involved in the liberation wars he needed to understand and be convinced that it was a just cause he was fighting for. "When you have men around, they will ask you: 'What are we fighting for or what is the objective and need for us to fight?'" Lt. Gen. Lungu said.

"When the people are not convinced enough in terms of the cause for the war, you tend to lose the spirit and the ability to fight willingly." He said for soldiers or anybody else to fight needed to be convinced that what they were fighting for was a just cause or there was a risk of loosing commitment from them.

Lt. Gen. Lungu said during the independence struggle in Zambia people who were fighting the colonial oppression were using non-conventional equipment but managed to win it because it was a war of purpose. "

They understood exactly what they were fighting for and they understood that it was valuable to them," Lt. Gen. Lungu said. "You look at all these countries which were involved in liberation struggle, although some of them took long, the people won despite the fact that they lost a lot of lives."

He said it was clear that despite the colonial masters use of superior weapons against the people who were ill-armed, their determination and purpose always prevailed. Lt. Gen. Lungu said the oppressors lost the liberation wars because the soldiers they were using to fight the freedom fighters did not find any reason to continue with wars they could not understand.

"In the end, I think it's the will of the people, when they understand what they are fighting for, you can use any weapon you feel like but you can't break the people when they understand that they are fighting for a just cause," he said. Lt. Gen. Lungu said people could even be pushed for decades but their will would always prevail over superior weapons and technology.

He said tactic was also important when people went to war because one would always surprise or excite the enemy. Lt. Gen. Lungu said in Zambia it was difficult to capture rebel leader Adamson Mushala because he was fighting in his own homeland where he knew all the footpaths, trees and terrain.

However, Lt. Gen. Lungu said the war should not have been allowed because approved UN mechanism of disarming Iraq were not exhausted. He said war should always be the last resort in resolving conflicts. "I think the United States should have explored other means but they have now taken a decision that will affect everybody else," Lt. Gen. Lungu said.

"I don't agree with the war myself." He said the wisest thing for the United States and Britain to do was to call for a cease-fire and go back to the United Nations to start afresh on how to resolve the disarmament of Iraq of weapons of mass destruction.

Lt. Gen. Lungu expressed fears that the war in Iraq would take longer than United States President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair had anticipated. He said Iraqis were likely to employ other methods to defend their homeland.

"Those other methods become more devastating and dangerous, these guys are talking about terrorism," Lt. Gen. Lungu said. "Nobody is happy about the demolishing of the Twin Towers but such things can't be ruled out when these people think that is the strong point, they have to hit back."

He said there was also fear that people would start losing confidence in the United Nations that it was a toothless organisation which did not have control over its members.

He appealed for restoration of dignity of the United Nations by its members.

Source: https://allafrica.com/stories/200304020214.html

Zambia: Serbia Offers to Help Zambia in Infrastructure Develop

By Kingsley Kaswende

Lusaka — Manojlovic - my government decided to reopen its embassy in Zambia to re-build relations the two countries enjoyed during the Yugoslavian days

THE government of Serbia and Montenegro has offered to help Zambia in infrastructure development.

Charge d'affaires at the embassy of Serbia and Montenegro, Mirko Manojlovic, said his government decided to reopen its embassy in Zambia three months ago to re-build relations the two countries enjoyed during the Yugoslavian days.

Manojlovic said his country had a lot of experience in agriculture, machinery, furniture and infrastructure development, which it hoped to teach Zambia.

"Zambia is probably the richest country in the region. It has a lot of possibilities and we want to build our relations from where we had left off. During the 1970s, our engineers were in Zambia and they built a lot of good infrastructure. We offer to help in the construction of more infrastructure," he said.

Proclaimed in 2003, Serbia and Montenegro is the name of a union of two former Yugoslav republics.

The state is located on the west-central Balkan Peninsula, bordering Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania.

Manojlovic, who has since moved with his family to Lusaka, said Zambia had scored many successes in the recent past, including instituting good reforms and winning debt relief.

He said these, coupled with good copper prices, would provide the basis for the turnaround of the economy. "It is clear that the government sees possibilities and our role is to strengthen those possibilities," said Manojlovic.

Source: https://allafrica.com/stories/200601170116.html