Dr Fred M’membe, the President of Zambia’s Socialist Party, has expressed his concern over the lack of response from President Hakainde Hichilema regarding the setting up of an AFRICOM office in Lusaka.
In a letter dated June 24, 2022, Dr M’membe raised several concerns regarding the establishment of the Office for Security Cooperation in Lusaka, as he believed it to be a serious mistake given the understanding of the doctrine behind the AFRICOM. Dr M’membe cited the United States’ 2017 doctrine document, which outlines the objectives and activities of AFRICOM and the potential risks it may pose to Zambia’s sovereignty.
Dr M’membe also discussed how AFRICOM has slowly increased its presence throughout the continent, establishing agreements with various African countries to use airfields, bases, and other resources for refueling aircraft, deploying troops, and conducting surveillance operations. According to Dr M’membe, AFRICOM’s operations have primarily supported US government foreign policy objectives, but have not yielded any significant benefits to the cooperative countries.
The President of the Socialist Party also pointed out that the distinction between setting up a military base and an office is often used as a way to politically manage AFRICOM’s presence in African countries. He used the example of Ghana, where the US mission stated that they were not setting up a base, but instead were entering into a Status of Forces Agreement that allowed the US military unrestricted access to various facilities in the country.
Dr M’membe concluded his letter by questioning why President Hichilema has not responded to these critical concerns and called for a public discourse on the matter.
Hh is just a ka chola boy of the western imperialists. He was used during privatisation. Remember that the west or enemy always use the weak ones to infiltrate a country. Hh worships those whltes. When he is done damaging this country he will fled to the west. Remember all his money is already abroad Panama papers.
Water under the bridge. Zambia is free to align with any country.
M’membe and his obsession against the Americans, kaya.
HH IS RIGHT TO BE APPARENTLY SILENT, BECAUSE THE GENERAL PUBLIC MAY NOT SEE THE DIFFERENCES . ONLY A QUESTIONABLE PERSON CAN KEEP ON RAISING UNNECESSARY QU`OVER ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN EXPL`IN SIMPLE WORDS /LANGUAGE. ANYWAY , FOR The SAKE OF MAKING NOISE , FRED CAN KEEP ON, BUT BY DOING SO EVEN DOGS SHALL DITCH HIM
So you are calling Zambians who follow Fred and appreciate his work, dogs?
Watch your mouth lest you may chew your words in 2026 when Fred becomes President of Zambia.
Fred M’membe should just be ignore.
He just chats nonsense.
When you represent just over 0% of the population who cares about your rants, if the President bothers to answer him, he will just be making someone who is insignificant and irrelevant think he has relevance.
Fred should just shut up and go sit a corner
The Rich socialist has spoken…he has never told when he became a socialist he is lucky UPND media team is sleeping and full of incompetent chaps
Check his bank balance?
I am not a fan of M’embe but what he is saying may come to haunt us in future. You can insult him or call him names but there’s truth in what he’s saying. These USA troops can easily be used to suppress dissent in the country the USA has vested interest.
Akafumbe ukunona, ala kugreza utwingi. Hence Zambia a Multi Party System. Remember, we are English speaking nation and it shall be so. At one time Kaunda was talked to by his President friend to change, he utterly refused.
Zambia was wiser as a non aligned state until the CHOLA boy came on the scene. Hakainde cannot be boodozing this nation where ever he wills. by the time he leaves office Zambia will cry. We will have lost all our friends that supported us through thin and thick. You can be friends with anyone you like but not at the expense of your genuine friends, do not forget your old and tested friends. Ameriaca may be a wealth nation but that is their wealth. Ubunga bushipelele mito (Their wealth is as goos as ashes if it does not satisfy our hunger). Abapitanshila _ balaya. Kapata mukaya _Umweni akaya.