Maravi

Sata commends Levy over stance on US army base

Sata commends Levy over stance on US army base
By Chibaula Silwamba
Sunday September 02, 2007 [04:00]

OPPOSITION Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata has commended President Levy Mwanawasa for rejecting America’s plans to set up the US Africa Command (Africom) base in Zambia. Commenting on President Mwanawasa’s declaration that his government would not give the United States of America (USA) sanctuary to establish its military base in Zambia, Sata yesterday said the PF had supported the President and the MMD government for the first time for making a correct decision to protect the sovereignty of Zambia.

“For the first time, we are openly supporting President Mwanawasa. This is the best decision since Mwanawasa came to power,” he said. “We know that the Americans’ intention to establish a military base in this country has one thing to assault Zimbabwe. It will be unthinkable and a sin for Americans to use Zambia as a spring board of removing President Mugabe.”

He said the US and Britain had not hidden their intention on the need for regime change in Zimbabwe.

Sata said if the US was allowed to set up a base in Zambia, they would use it to destabilize the region and other regions in Africa.

“The Americans would use their base here to remove any leader they don’t like in Africa,” Sata observed. “And knowing Americans, it will be easy to come here but it would be very difficult to remove them.”

He said allowing the US to set up a base would displace a lot of people.
“We would also like to appeal to the President to use the same powers, he has used to reject the Americans’ intention to establish a military base, to deal with Chinese. Chinese may not have guns but they are too many here,” he said. “We have provided employment to Chinese; we are not going to provide employment for Americans.”

Sata observed that Zambia had been used as a military base by freedom fighters in southern Africa.

“The Zambian soil was used during the struggle against colonialism. At that time the government allowed freedom fighters, which was a correct thing to use Zambia as a spring board to fight colonialism,” he said.

Sata said that action, though good, had cost Zambians their lives.
“There were costs in terms of property, economic stagnation and above all loss of lives,” Sata said.

President Mwanawasa, who is also SADC chairman, said none of the SADC countries were interested in Africom.

“Each country has sovereignty to decide on that, but we will not as Zambia. We will not give them sanctuary. I think I can speak on behalf of the SADC region and none of us is interested,” said President Mwanawasa on Friday before departure to Swaziland on a five-day state visit.

Labels: MILITARY BASES, SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:46 AM