United States Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Zambia in late March. This is part of an African tour that will take her to Ghana and Tanzania scheduled for 25 March to 3 April. She will become the 18th and most senior American official to visit Africa this year.
This visit will be the most high-profile as the US and Russia go pound-for-pound countering each other in Africa, as the war in Ukraine enters its second year.
Vice President Harris could set the stage for the eventual promised arrival of President Joe Biden, a vow he made at the US Africa Leaders Summit in Washington DC in December.
So far, first lady Jill Biden’s visits to Namibia and Kenya are regarded as the most high profile followed by that of US Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen who was in Senegal, South Africa, and Zambia last month.
Edward Burrier, a senior advisor for private sector engagement at the US Institute of Peace, called the planned visits by American envoys to Africa “supercharged” because they were moving “beyond the typical secretary of state visits”.
Since January, by counting 17 including the first lady, the envoys have been to 11 African countries. Burrier in his analysis pointed out that visits to Africa show that the continent “will shape the future of the global economy”.
Although Africa has some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, democratic advancements sometimes stall because of insurgencies, corruption, and weak governance.
This issue is at the centre of US policy in Africa.
But it’s not easy, as the US faces traditional rivals China and lately Russia, which has managed to strengthen its relations that go as far back as the decolonisation of Africa in the periods between the 1960s and 80s. Any form of collaboration with Russia by African nations is seen by the US as a betrayal.
There’s not much travelling from Russian envoys with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the only high-level Putin diplomat to come to Africa. Still, Russia covers considerable ground in this dual of ideologies and policies.
Ann Garrison, from The Black Agenda Report, argued that “Africa doesn’t like to be pushed around”.
“African nations’ refusal to reinforce US foreign policy in the UN General Assembly is a case in point,” she said.
Fifteen African countries were among 32 UN member states that abstained from voting on a General Assembly resolution calling for Russia to pull out its troops from Ukraine last month.
Mali and Eritrea are the two African countries out of seven that voted in support of Russia from a continent contributing 54 members in the 193-member bloc.
Mali and Eritrea were not at the US Africa Leaders Summit. For Mali, it was because of its suspension from the AU for “unconstitutional change of governance” while Eritrea does not have diplomatic ties with the US. Since then, Mali has become closer to Russia and pushed France back.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) sees this decision by Mali as “avoiding the trap of isolation” by choosing Russia as its main military ally.
The Russia-Africa Leaders Summit at St Petersburg in July will provide an insight into how much Moscow has endeared itself with Africa.
Already, invites are being dispatched to African countries.
Media reports in East Africa say South Sudan, a country that was against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is one of the first to get its invite to the summit.
In his address to the AU in February, President Vladimir Putin vowed that this year’s Russia-African Summit would allow setting “new goals for expanding cooperation between the Russian Federation and its African partners in a wide range of areas, such as addressing topical issues on the regional and international agenda”.
Just to ensure LGBT is protected. She’s ever smiling and you wonder how useful she’s to sleepy Joe. The most ineffective VP of the United States, that I have ever seen m
If this president carries on with his shenanigans, we will start suspecting him. Every sensible thing on this planet including insects and plants are avoiding Americans at all costs except this man. 2H if you displace our future generations by your actions, our spirits will haunt you forever.
We don’t want criminals visiting our nation, just to come and loot our minerals.
Get out in fact we don’t even need you. Americans are useless a nation without a culture now wanting to destroy our culture through gay rights and homosexual. Get lost you fo.ols.
How is it going to destroy your culture….really laughable…you are exposed to all sorts omline have you started to cross-dress?
Zambians are gullible instead of taking about issues of debt and China you are being distracted by halfwits in PF like Mwamba.
The chief lesbian is coming to check on her gay chola boy to ensure the gay agenda is being forced on our people.
I get sick seeing useless comments regarding the visit of the US vice president to Zambia. Instead of focusing on what beneficial relationship Zambia should obtain from this visit, some naive hypocrites are stuck with the gay agenda… There are gay people in many countries of the world and these were not created by the visit of an American president or vice president. This is a case of trying to politicise a none issue in the name of protection of our culture and christian values. Suddenly christian values are not foreign but embedded in our so called culture. Stupid hypocrites
She’s coming to see puppets
She is also another puppet on the same string connected to the other puppet and controlled from Washington. These guys mean business. CI&A mean business this time…even this site is being monitored to look for trouble makers.
She’s coming to make sure the puppet strings on HH are tight, and tighten them a little more if need be. While In Zambia, she’ll call Washington to tug on the puppet strings, to make sure they’re tight. “Washington, can you read me? If you can pull the string for the left leg on the puppet. Pull the string for the right leg. Now the two strings for the arms. Okay. They’re real tight. Our marionette is now in tip top condition.”
In less than 90 days we will have the US Treasury Secretary, a team of 5 Senators and the Vice President all coming to Zambia. America has really found a stoogy that they can use in Africa. HH is such a disappointment. If its not running away from the country every 2 weeks to go and attend functions, that can be done by minister, its failing to address Zambians on pressing matters. And corruption is now at the centre of running the nation.
We warned you.
You educated guys you wanted M7 of Uganda to come here Zambia and train upnd how to gass fellow Zambians?Do you know the agenda of this vice president? china left you in big problems wake up from slumber.You take drugs for the same Americans you don’t refuse but to be visited is a problem, she is coming like it or not the vice president is coming ndipo ndime wokondwela
Abductors escaping, gassing cases swept under the carpet.. even if you are a staunch supporter you can at least ask why all these are happening.
You educated guys you wanted M7 of Uganda to come here in Zambia and train upnd how to gass fellow Zambians?Do you know the agenda of this vice president? china left you in big problems wake up from slumber.You take drugs for the same Americans you don’t refuse but to be visited is a problem, she is coming like it or not the vice president is coming ndipo ndime wokondwela.I named my dog by the name of jealous.
Only dimwits can narrow down the US vice president visit to Zambia to gay issues. Bigotry is so high in Zambia. The opposition is now busy opposing selected visitors from foreign countries. Wasted human souls!
Americans are criminals no apology
Some people can surely be stupid, US funds HIV medicines in Zambia and engages in balance of payments etc. Forsake them at your own peril.
Zambians are stoopid hypocrites.Other than in the war against Russia the US doesn’t need you.You got high debts,poverty,underdevelopment and no medicines or technology you misguided proud beggars.USA can help .
In the meantime, Zambia is becoming poorer and poorer, and the kwacha is depreciating faster than the speed of light. HH’s American colonizer buddies could care less, as they only look out for their own interests. Zambia is toast indeed.
We dont want your gay agenda!!Keep your filthy habits to yoursrlves.
Black Mountain, who told you that US is selling gay agenda to Zambia? And when you write that ” We dont want your gay agenda!!” who are these we you refer to ? Speak for yourself.. Poverty of the mind is worse than food insecurity !