“Our first question is not who has done it, but is this right, is this fair, is it just? If the answer is no, no matter who has done it we shall condemn him and the action he has taken.” – Kenneth Kaunda, First president of Zambia
Last week, the United Nations General Assembly, reflecting the entirety of the UN membership, held an Emergency Special Session on a resolution condemning the aggressive Russian assault on the territorial integrity of Ukraine. We, the Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Zambia of Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States commend Zambia for voting in support of the resolution, and for the intervention of its Representative to help persuade others to do so.
Zambia’s vote demonstrates leadership arising from its unique role and history in this region and its long engagement in the United Nations and other international fora. The adoption of the resolution reflects overwhelming support for the rules-based international order and for the tenets of the UN Charter, which form the basis for peaceful co-existence among States. It represents a rejection of attempts to change international borders by force, and a clear signal of support for democracies in the face of threats and violence by autocratic regimes, wherever they may be.
To quote the UN Secretary General: “The UN Charter has been challenged in the past, but it has stood firm on the side of peace, security, development, justice, international law and human rights. The adoption of this resolution underlines the statements made by governments around the world, and echoes those made by the African Union, the European Union, the G7 governments, and many other organizations.
We acknowledge the bravery of the citizens of Ukraine in defending their country and the courage of Russian citizens who are protesting at home against President Putin’s war on Ukraine. Many governments have now established sanctions targeted at President Putin and the decision-makers who surround him. The breadth of international condemnation reflects the seriousness of this challenge to global peace and order: from the withdrawal of major investments by private sector firms to Russian athletes being banned from participating in international sporting competitions, and the suspension of many other marquee social and cultural events.
As diplomats, we know the importance of assisting our citizens abroad. We commend the Government of Zambia for its strong focus on ensuring the safety of the approximately 140 Zambians who were in Ukraine when the invasion began. They are mostly young people, aiming for a brighter future through their studies. Russia’s war of aggression has now ruined their immediate plans. We sincerely hope it has not eliminated their plans for a better life. We are proud of the diplomatic efforts by our governments to assist in their safe passage home.
We also acknowledge the range of responses in Zambian society to President Putin’s war against Ukraine: sympathy with the victims; sadness at the scale and nature of the violence; resolute solidarity with a fellow State under tremendous pressure from an outside aggressor. At the same time there is some ambivalence. In the context of the Global South, which has faced many violent conflicts and refugee flows, the calls for solidarity with the victims of the present crisis may also have given rise to a wish among some Zambians to remain focused on issues closer to home, and not on the struggles of nations far afield.
We acknowledge these sentiments. The challenges of building prosperity for Zambian citizens, and ensuring their economic security, health, and well-being deserve the full attention of the Zambian Government. However, Zambia’s role as an example of democracy and peace in the region, its security as a State, attraction as a place of investment, and ability to educate, care for, and foster the success of its citizens, depends deeply on the stability that the international rules-based order has provided for most of the last 70+ years.
Dr. Kenneth Kaunda in 1973 laid out Zambia’s foreign policy principles: “Our first question is not who has done it, but is this right, is this fair, is it just? If the answer is no, no matter who has done it we shall condemn him and the action he has taken.”
Speaking clearly in support of Ukraine, in support of the UN Charter, in support of the rules-based international order is both our duty and is a long-term investment to maintain a collective, peaceful future, both in Zambia and all over the world. It is a watershed moment in the history of international relations, and we congratulate the Government and people of Zambia for speaking up for their future, and indeed, all our futures.
The Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Zambia of Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States
The other article emphasized on KKs association with the Non Aligned Movement. This one the Preamble emphasis is KK taking a stand.
Of course they would applaud. Useless pressure never gets any bully anywhere. I applaud Pakistan’s PM when he rejected the pressure to take sides. Zambia just buckled when they saw a small bag of greenbacks! Ifyabupuba fye. Muzagulisa amai wanu a mambala.
KK THIS AND KK THAT
THE CHAP HAS PASSED ON
THE QUESTION STILL REMAINS APART FROM BEING THE FOUNDING FATHER
DID HE UPLIFT ZAMBIA OR SUPPRESS ZAMBIA
THE CHOICE IS YOURS
Ignorance and muzunungu anikonde syndrome is what leads to supporting some western nations in a war where ironically the same people you seek to support are being racist towards your kind. Typical hh behaviour. To him the whlte western man is God
Next they we applaud our accepting same**** marriege.
Russia’s as actions are a direct result of European Military expansion to its borders through NATO. They disregarded it’s warnings and this war is a consequence of that. So what do we have to do with this at all? These same people applauding Zambia attacked prospering nations Iraq and Libya and reduced them to rubble with hundreds of thousands of people killed with zero accountability by them. Hypocrites!. And these are now the people we are siding with? Look how they treated our children in Ukraine when they were fleeing, like dogs whose lives don’t mean a thing. Its shameful to side with them on anything that they themselves started. Let them go and fight umwaume munanko. Rubbish.
Are the authors not aware of how Ukrainian officials unashamedly racially discriminated African students who were merely attempting to escape a war zone??? How about condemning that? It’s extremely daft to support those – who, themselves would not consider your life worthy. For Zambians, I would say, before trumpeting your support, study & know what you’re dealing with.
# plant a tree please.
Understanding the politics in this and communicate effectively the reasons will be help me There are racial ethnic in the Ukraine Russia senseless war These 2 and friendship amongst the 2 countries have shown no resistance in some areas of conflict in Ukraine It shows that this war is for the RUSSIANGUY is against the EU NATO and the US because even the ukraine President has no idea of the motive for such agressive foreplay from US he is in touch with Moscow and hoping to reach an agreement but the order is to shoot him dead in kyv as a bteary of that agreement and the community in Moscow and the West It’s senselessly started war and conflict that could be discussed and resolved on the table So basically the facts on voting and why are not for the good points but outside in a…
YES VIVA GAY RIGHTS
THIS WAS ACCENTED !000’S OF YERARS AGO
AND TO KNOW ALLS WHERE IN THE BIBLE IS IT FOREBIDDEN
Western puppets….exactly what Muzungu likes….we have no spine or mind of our own….just thinking about begging…and being controlled…..Zambia was supposed to remain neutral …….now we have house negroee demagogue President HH
Who is in focus really in the conflict is NATO allies and IS and the West It could not have been if it was mere Ukraine. it’s a complex known geopolitical scen and voting is a little unclear as in other conflicts and meeting because the basis of the conflict is not sensible
Well done Zambia, never ever support the killing of people what ever the circumstances
You can imagine some people saying we were non aligned then so why should we support Ukraine, they have no idea that the cold war was an ideological war and there was no killing of people, and that is why we were non aligned. You can not have a country invading another country which by the way has the right to join NATO, despite the feeble argument that the US stopped Cuba in the sixties and support that aggressor, no you can not do that. Zambia was absolutely right in its voting
1. HH is 1 Billion % correct to have instructed Zambia to condemn Russia at the UN. Well done HH.
This is not about HH kissing the West but doing the right, noble, moral thing. Just because your associate, friend, colleague comes and helps you here and there – it does not mean that – if that associate/colleague is committing crime against humanity such as to what Putin is doing, then you cannot call him out, critique and condemn them.
Life challenges us all do the right thing even it feels painful. One of the thing that made Nelson Mandela a great man, was because he did not shy away to critique his mutual friendly world leaders.
3. It might as well send a message to China which is always threatening to invade Taiwan, to be careful, that make no mistake it could be you next.
Compared to Russia, if a similar Economic War happened against China, Communist China would crash. No wonder China is very jittery about the whole thing. Who would have thought on the third day of this Ukraine War, the Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister would make a direct call to the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs, condemning Russia, opting if Russia had taken dialogue route. That move itself has p*ssed off Putin as he always counts China to support him. Just as well, China decided to abstain at the UN Vote.
#8 tikki… which Bible have been reading? I won’t bother to show where it’s written unless you ask me to.
Please don’t quote Kenneth Kaunda he (with Mandela) would never have voted but abstained Russia was the only country that was there to support them with arms during Apartheid.
How we need a fair international system that treats all nations equally whn they disregard global governance norms. Iraq was invaded because it was feared that the country had weapons of mass destruction, that is, nuclear weapons. Whn was any nation allowed by the UN to have nuclear weapons? We’re quite close to a collapse the post world war 2 global border. We’re just hanging on somehow.
A wrong is a wrong people….you cant just get up and proclaim that Malawi belongs to Zambia so you are ordering Zambian troops to invade Malawi with view to annexing it……Life is all about precedents….. you keep quiet today,another dictator will invade a neighbouring country and butcher its citizens purely to satisfy their Great Leader’s swollen ego…. Come on folks !!!
If some want to use KK’s examples,what did KK have to say about Idi Amin ???? he called him for the butcher of Africa he was!!!
I personally would like Zambia and its Government to turn over a new leaf and even call out dictators within Africa……
Okay the way it will come to in this months is how the wat ends You can oil reaching $145 given also the cutting off supply chains from that region particularly Russia It means that the EU growth prospects will fall and if that could happen it means the US a major trade partner with EU affected will feel the effect as sanctions and supply chains disruption manifest It could be longer and risky for EU and the US if say Russia worn the war and Ukraine remained under it’s management It’s therefore in the best interest that the EU and Ukraine Russia including the US resolved this conflict to avoid economic recession eminent and also some sanctions on common citizens could be hasher than the cost of war to the rulers that should be looked also and moderated on because the…
HH is correct. What Russia has done is not acceptable
The same diplomats should call out Ukraine discriminatory practices against all people of colour .Otherwise, we’ll never support another vote against Russia or other despots
I’d rather withhold Zambia’s support and snub this EU ‘applause” given how Ukraine and western media have treated/overlooked the racist treatment of African students in Ukraine. NAKEDLY RACIST.