The United States Embassy in Lusaka has announced that David Young has arrived in Zambia to serve in the capacity of Chargé d’Affaires, the position of a deputy to the Ambassador.
Mr. Young returns to Zambia, where he served as Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission from 2013-2016. From 2019-2020 he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Pretoria, South Africa, and from 2016-2019 as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.
A Foreign Service Officer for 30 years, Mr. Young has also served as Deputy Director of the Office of the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan; Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights; a Pearson Fellow in the House of Representatives; Public Affairs Officer at Embassy Guatemala; and Director of the Office of International Religious Freedom.
The US Government has still not replaced the recalled ambassador to Zambia, Daniel Foote, amid a diplomatic row after he criticized the imprisonment of a Kapiri Mposhi Gay couple.
Mr. Foote left Zambia after the government asked Washington to recall the ambassador because of his “inappropriate comments,”
Zambian President Edgar Lungu went public saying he wanted the U.S. ambassador to leave Zambia after Mr. Foote criticized the African state for sentencing a gay couple to 15 years behind bars for having a consensual relationship.
“We have complained officially to the American government, and we are waiting for their response because we don’t want such people in our midst,” Lungu said told ZNBC at the time. “We want him gone.”
In a statement before his departure, Foote called on Zambia to protect its reputation as a democracy and “avoid degradation of your own citizens’ human, economic, and political rights.”
Same-sex relationships are illegal in Zambia. In November last year, Foote spoke out against a verdict that handed couple Japhet Chataba and Steven Samba prison sentences for being in a same-sex relationship.
“I was personally horrified to read yesterday about the sentencing of two men, who had a consensual relationship, which hurt absolutely no one, to 15 years’ imprisonment,” Foote wrote at the time.
The diplomat has said he was also targeted after he skipped a World AIDS Day event in protest of the government’s conduct.
In 2019, the administration of US President Donald Trump said it would lead a push to end laws criminalizing homosexual relationships around the world.
And some moron in PF possibly SG Mwila , Sunday and Mwanza will say that USA has appointed an Ambassador to Zambia.
Ati deputy Ambassador ? Hehehehehe ! America isn’t just appointing an ambassador to Zambia ….when has America ever had a deputy Ambassador in Zambia ?
@pontiano Kaiche come and see your young brother from America. Lol
What about Zambia’s ambassador to the US? When is he going to take up his position?
Bad news for the deads and harry. They don’t like such news. All they want is an internationally isolated Zambia under PF.
Ouch! Chibaba.
Thorn
Deputy ambassador
None the less , looks like he has experience in trouble spots…..SA, Sudan , Nigeria
And “thorn in the flesh “ et al , before you celebrate , look at this from his previous
“ Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights; a Pearson Fellow in the House of Representatives; “
Hehehehehe
You are being watched
Can I hear puuuum from the opposition!
Here you are KZ:
The meaning of this is that Mr Kapambwe (a really seasoned diplomat) will not present his Letter of Credence.
At most, Zambia in the US can only be represented by a Chargé d’Affaires and NOT an Ambassador.
It’s called, in diplomacy, the principle of reciprocity.
Ah, forget it. KZ and other PF bloggers don’t understand such things.
ZedForward – Clearly it pains you. Ambassador Young is a very experienced Diplomat. Further, the US Government has brought back somebody who served in this country before – this to say the least is a lot of respect from the US Government. Deputy Ambassador or whatever you wish to emphasize, this man is capable of handling this Embassy very professionally. Welcome back Ambassador Young.
Adviser do you know the difference between deputy and Ambassador..the paygrade is different for obvious reasons. You moron would even eat cow dung just to convince your dull selves.
IT’S A PITY THAT THE CAUSE OF THE DIPLOMATIC TIFF BETWEEN ZAMBIA AND USA HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH A ZAMBIAN HOMOSEXUAL COUPLE WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN A LONG JAIL SENTENCE FOR PRACTICING HOMOSEXUALITY. IT IS SAD BECAUSE THE PF GOVT KNOWS THE CAUSE OF HOMOSEXUALITY, PROSTITUTION, DRUNKENNESS, STREET VENDING, MOB LYNCHING, AND OTHER SOCIAL EVILS: IT IS THEIR PRO-POOR POLICIES WHICH ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO JOB-CREATION TO ENSURE THAT THE POOR BECOME POORER. BECAUSE OF POVERTY THE YOUTH ARE FORCED TO DO SOME OF THESE THINGS.
SO BEFORE WE CHASE ANOTHER “FOOTE”, WE MUST DO AN OBJECTIVE SELF-CHECK TO AVOID EMBARRASSING OUR SO-CALLED PEACEFUL NATION. FOR HOW CAN PEACE REIGN AMID POVERTY, JOBLESSNESS, HIGH ELECTRICITY TARIFFS, HIGH FUEL PRICES AND OTHER SOCIAL EVILS?
Got it right @ ZedForward! Trump loves the word “RECIPROCAL” taking every opportunity to remind the rest of world governments that for him relationships with other nations will be based on principle of reciprocity. Zambia for now has to make do without a fully fledged US Ambassador and that means administrative consequences to issues that could need timely attention!
Mwapelwa mwe ma critics. You are just looking for faults. The fact that the US has appointed a deputy ambassador means it has not like you have been reporting withdrawn its ambassador to Lusaka and expelled the Zambian one or ender relationships with Zambia . In fact it shows that the US will now very soon send an ambassador to Lusaka. Just be silent and don’t look for what to criticize in this move
@Adviser, like any patriotic Zambian it hurts when our country is downgraded because of a silly diplomatic flap.
The problem with Zambia is that we have lost of pride because of mediocrity on many fronts.
We have cheapened ourselves and we think it ok.
Why should it hurt? You are imagining injuries where there is none. Looking for faults
Zambia is a failed state, PF is responsible for that. Fire Lungu led coteruevof useless MPs, PSs and all parastatals appointees. Disband IDC, investigate NAPSA IDC and ZCCM-IH investments, they are all corruption ridden day time robbery.
No HH, no Kamwili, nobody from existing crop of politician, Zambia needs a Zambia focused majority focused leader at helm of affairs and selfless MPs and key appointees
No comments. Days of jackal are numbered. Hyena Hyena will replace him and bleeding of Zambian by jackals is taken over by HYENA HYENA ( HH).
Momentarily Zambians will celebrate jumping from frying pan into fire.
Zambia can use its friends like Isreal to offer an apology and seek reconciliation and restoration of the two Ambassadors in both countries. The good part is the message of refusing to bow to homosexuality legalization was sent across and the Americans now know the type of people to send as Ambassador to Zambia
One step forward to appointing an ambassador.
IT MAY ALSO MEAN THAT THE US HAS BEEN TAUGHT A LESSON. THEY WILL BE CAUTIOUS WHEN SENDING AMBASSADORS. THEY WILL ONLY BE SENDING PERSONS WITH VAST EXPERIENCE WHO ARE EQUAL TO THE TASK AND NOT OVERLY EXCITED INDIVIDUALS. THEY WILL NOW HAVE TO THINK TWICE AND NOT SEND SUCH OFFICIALS CARELESSLY.
The fact is Joe Malanji went on record to say that it was just the visa processing exercise that was delaying the posting of the ambassador to Washington. So what is the truth now?
@Zedforward , thank you for a very diplomatic posting. Truth hurts!
It is not a matter of homosexuality.But the granting of visas.University entrance.And trade.That The ambassador will be concerned with.Peter Carlos Hinds.
Tarino Orange – I can read in your moronic response that you are burning inside that the US Govt has covered the gap. In your silliness you are going to deal with the differences in pay structure between an Ambassador and his Deputy – how silly can that be! Are you addressing First Graders? You prophets of doom are the reason you will continuously be led by low caliber leaders – no strategy at all on how to correct the wrong but spending all energies looking for opportunities to insult and downgrade. I am no fun of mediocre leadership just to remind you.
It means Zambia as a mission is now downgraded to Chargé d’Affaires. Lungu in all honesty poses a real existential threat to Zambia because to piss off one’s principal donor in this fashion is tantamount to gutless stupidity. Chagwa sure amwapeeling, leka kupusa Galu iwe!
Kainyo Zulu,
This is diplomacy of reciprocity, it’s was above the pay grade of a Chelstone Clinic laboratory assistant! Leave it to those with education, it will just confuse you ka Malyamungu wena!