INFORMATION minister Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday said Zimbabwe stood guided by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and the African Union (AU) on reports that the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) was setting up a base in neighbouring Zambia.
Mutsvangwa said: “Zimbabwe respects the sovereign decisions
made by all independent States. When it comes to regional security issues
Zimbabwe is guided by collective decisions made by member States.”
Foreign Affairs ministry spokesperson Levit Mugejo added:
“Address this issue to the Zambian embassy or the United States embassy. We
cannot comment on something that we have heard in the media. There is a Sadc
position and the African Union position on these issues.”
Reports on April 25 said AFRICOM would open an Office of
Security Co-operation at the US embassy in Zambia.
A statement by the US embassy in Zambia revealed that the
US had invested over US$8 million to assist in the pre-deployment training of
Zambian battalions to be deployed on the United Nations Multidimensional
Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic.
However, the setting up of an AFRICOM office in Zambia has
divided opinion within Zambia.
“The New Heritage Party wishes to place on record, its
strong misgivings about the announcement by the American General Peter Bailey
that the American and the Zambian governments have agreed to establish and
locate the AFRICOM, which is the military command centre for the US government
against its enemies on the African continent, in Zambia,” the opposition New
Heritage Party led by Chishala Kateka said.
AFRICOM is a combatant organ of the US defence department. Sadc
countries, including South Africa, have been uncomfortable having AFRICOM at
their doorsteps. Newsday
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