from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia Bureau
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – THE escalating fallout between the United Nations (UN) and Zambia following highly contested elections is the most severe diplomatic impasse between the prime global organisation and the Southern African nation.
Zambia has been tense since Hakainde Hichilema retained power following the August 13 election, while his main opponent in the poll, Brian Mundubile, and the latter’s allies were charged with treason and detained.
The differences widened on Thursday after Hichilema’s government and the ruling United Party of National Development hit out at the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Gina Romero, after she issued an urgent call for Zambia to halt the criminalisation of political dissent.
This comes amid what she describes as a grave deterioration in the country’s democratic and human rights environment following the elections.
Romero lamented arbitrary detentions, disproportionate charges, including sedition and espionage, and restrictions on peaceful assembly, which directly violate international human rights standards under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
“This crisis reflects a broader pattern of shrinking civic space,” Romero said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in its response, said the envoy’s statement contained factual errors and prejudicial characterisations.
The government argues that describing events as a “post-election crackdown”, labelling individuals as “political detainees” or calling treason charges “concocted” are unsubstantiated conclusions that prejudge live criminal proceedings before independent courts can determine them.
The ministry argued that the special rapporteur’s release ranged into sweeping assertions regarding electoral flaws, violence and the broader human rights environment that fall outside a mandate focused purely on freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
Zambia has therefore called upon the special rapporteur and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to publicly correct what it argued was the erroneous description of treason, clearly distinguish allegations from verified facts and accurately reflect Zambia’s legal reforms.
“Zambia remains committed to constitutional democracy, political pluralism, freedom of peaceful assembly and association, the rule of law, and constructive cooperation with the UN Human Rights Special Procedures Mandate Holders,” the foreign ministry stated.
Hichilema’s party branded the UN as a “disaster” in many African states when it comes to helping address political terrorism.
“We have cases where they have allowed the situation to degenerate in Sudan and they have done nothing much to redeem our fellow Africans losing lives there. We have had a situation in Eastern Congo in which the UN seems to be a spectator and media commentator rather than a body founded on universal human rights,” UPND spokesperson Mark Simmuwe said.
“It should be made clear that Zambia has vast experience in peacekeeping and has often come out with the best peacekeeping military practices,” he added.
“As such, we are aware of how some countries lost it and ended up going for civil war after endorsing such calls from the UN, such as releasing suspected terrorists whom they are calling ‘political detainees’.”
Simmuwe said since Zambia is a member state of the UN and a signatory to the UN Charter on sovereignty and the need to fight terrorism, the UN must respect Zambia’s sovereignty and also respect the credible legal institutions that Zambia has in presiding over all criminal matters relating to treason or insurrection.
After the elections, a representative of António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, sought to mediate in the tense stand-off involving Mundubile, who, alongside his running mate, Makebi Zulu, sought refuge within the UN compound, fearing for their safety amid accusations levelled against them.
Hichilema rejected the UN’s proposals to transfer the accused to a neutral third party or to grant them safe passage out of the country.
Diplomat Emmanuel Mwamba said the failure of these negotiations underscored the polarising political climate gripping Zambia.
“The United Nations envoy’s departure without an agreement highlights an impasse that risks further destabilising the nation’s fragile democratic fabric.”
Some notable diplomatic fallouts, policy frictions and structural tensions have emerged over the decades.
Following Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965, the UN passed resolutions demanding member states sever economic ties with the rebel regime of Ian Smith.
Enforcing UN sanctions placed an immense economic burden on Zambia. President Kenneth Kaunda frequently criticised the international community and the UN for failing to provide adequate compensatory financial and logistical assistance to landlocked frontline states bearing the brunt of global mandates.
In numerous global addresses, including at the UN General Assembly, Zambian leadership has openly criticised the UN for preserving a “historical injustice” by denying African nations permanent seats and veto powers on decisions impacting the continent.
– CAJ News