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Zambia is not ideal for military base - Martinez

Zambia is not ideal for military base - Martinez
By Edwin Mbulo
Monday September 17, 2007 [04:00]

UNITED States Ambassador Carmen Martinez has said Zambia is not an ideal place to set up a military base. And Ambassador Martinez has urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to find ways of resolving the political differences in Zimbabwe before they spread to neighbouring countries.

Featuring on Face the Media programme on Livingstone's Zambezi FM Radio on Saturday, Ambassador Martinez emphasised that the USA had no intentions of setting up a military base in Zambia.

Ambassador Martinez said the US had instead approached the Zambian government to set up what she called an Africa Command Office which would be an administrative office for crisis management, be it political or economic.

"It is not ideal to set up a military base in Zambia. We have had discussions with the Zambian government on our intentions to set up an administrative office and not a military base," she said.

Ambassador Martinez said the Africa Command Office was designed to try to assist, monitor programmes and any crisis facing Africa.
"The Africa Command Office will also assist maintain peace on the African continent," she said.

Ambassador Martinez said the USA was already training peacekeepers in Africa to help maintain peace on the continent. Recently, President Levy Mwanawasa said he would not allow the US to set up a military base in Zambia. President said the government would not give the US sanctuary to establish a military base in the country.

Former president Dr Kenneth Kaunda also asked America to keep its military guns away from Africa. And information minister Mike Mulongoti last week said the US government had asked the African Union to help them find a place in Africa for them to set up a military base.

Dr Kaunda said it was disturbing for the US to consider establishing a military base in Africa instead of assisting the continent to empower its people. And Ambassador Martinez expressed fears that problems affecting Zimbabwe were slowly spreading to neighbouring countries.

" Zambia may already be affected with economic problems Zimbabwe is currently facing," said Ambassador Martinez.

Labels: AFRICOM, CARMEN MARTINEZ, MILITARY BASES

posted by MrK @ 4:18 AM