Foreign relations of Zambia
Zambia's support for the various liberation movements also caused problems for the Zambian economy, since it was heavily dependent on electricity supply and transportation through South Africa and Rhodesia.
[citation needed] For their part in the liberations struggles, Zambia enjoys wide popularity among the countries they supported as well as all over Africa.
[2] Before Zambian independence, Kaunda met with John F Kennedy while visiting the United States in 1961, and he would meet with Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W.
[1] He also clashed with British prime minister Margaret Thatcher on several occasions, disliking her policy towards South Africa.
Following the independence of Zambia on 24 October 1964, the country has lent military aid and support to numerous movements and governments on the international stage.
Most notably, Zambia has a history of providing military aid to combatants and political parties fighting for independence throughout Africa.
[6] The aid that Zambia has provided for African nationalistic movements during the colonial era revolves around both military and diplomatic arrangement for liberation and peace.
[8] Most notably, the Zambian military has provided counter insurgent efforts during major African confrontations such as the Rhodesian Bush War despite not being the main belligerent.
[7] Regional stability has allowed Former President Kenneth Kaunda to maintain power in the relatively poor nation for several decades.
The newly formed Zambian government under President Kenneth Kaunda of the UNIP party was active in the liberation and disputes of its neighbors for decades following its independence.
The South West African People's Organization (SWAPO) is a political party that was formerly an independence movement based in Namibia.
After rounding up thousands of perceived rebels, including Shipanga with the aid of Zambia, SWAPO leadership in Namibia became markedly more authoritarian.
Zambia thus developed a legacy of being the center of activity for South African liberation and allowed exiled leaders to convene and organize.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela had expressed the important role that Zambia played in the liberation of their country during the years of exile.
[25] This included multiple visits and discussion between the Rhodesian government and Zambia leaders to negotiate a resolution to the civil strife within the country.
[31] Initiated by Zambia, the Lusaka Protocol was a treaty that attempted to end the Civil War by disarmament and national reconciliation.
Representatives from various international organizations such as the United Nations, met on 21–27 June 1999 in Lusaka in order to draft a resolution to the conflict.
A dormant dispute remains where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe's boundaries converge; and with the DRC in the Lunchinda-Pweto Enclave in the North of Chienge following concerns on the Zambia-Congo Delimitation Treaty raised with the late President Laurent Kabila.
[58] Both countries established diplomatic relations on 29 February 1980 when Ireland's first Ambassador to Zambia, His Excellency Mr Michael Greene, presented credentials to President Kaunda[137] Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 March 1965 when Israel's first ambassador to Zambia Col. Ben-Zion Tehan presented his credentials to the President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda.
[219] See South Africa–Zambia relations Zambia was a strong supporter of the African National Congress during their struggle against minority rule and hosted the ANC for a number of years.
[227] Zambia, led by president Kenneth Kaunda and other diplomats such as Vernon Mwaanga, Mark Chona, and Siteke Mwale, cooperated closely with the United States between 1975 and 1984 in order to promote peaceful solutions to the conflicts in Angola, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), and Namibia.
