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Zambia Pushes Back Against US Over Alleged Conditions in Aid Proposal
(MENAFN) Zambia has raised concerns that the United States is attempting to connect a proposed health funding agreement with access to the country’s valuable mineral resources, according to official statements. The dispute follows criticism from Washington’s outgoing ambassador regarding governance and cooperation issues.
In remarks delivered at the end of his tenure, Michael Gonzales stated that the US had made offers exceeding $2 billion in health and economic assistance since late last year. However, he argued that Zambian authorities had shown “effectively zero substantive engagement” with these initiatives in recent months.
The envoy further alleged that the government had failed to address widespread misuse of medical supplies funded by the US, claiming it had refused “to stop or take action to hold people accountable for the systematic and nationwide theft of US provided medicines while the Zambian citizens for whom those were intended went without.”
Responding to these statements, Mulambo Haimbe criticized the tone of the remarks, describing them as “undiplomatic” and not reflective of the expected conduct between independent nations. While acknowledging that efforts to combat corruption—particularly within the health sector—must be strengthened, he rejected suggestions that the government was acting against its own population, calling such claims “mischievous.”
Haimbe also clarified that discussions over the proposed agreement are still ongoing. “It must be noted that in terms of the proposed Health MOU by which the US graciously offered support of up to US$2 billion over the next 5 years, the US and Zambia are yet to agree on certain of the terms proposed in the draft MOU,” he said.
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