‘Diplomats complained about Kambwili'
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone and Enerst Chanda in Lusaka
Sat 14 Jan. 2012, 14:30 CAT
DIPLOMATS complained over Chishimba Kambwili's behaviour hence his removal as Minister of Foreign Affairs, sources have revealed.
But Kambwili yesterday said he never used vulgar language against any diplomats.
Sources disclosed on Wednesday before the announcement of reshuffles was made yesterday that diplomats complained that Kambwili was too harsh and lacked etiquette.
"The diplomats complained that Kambwili lacked diplomatic etiquette, not only to them but to fellow leaders. They said they were finding it difficult to work with Kambwili because he was militant and confrontational even where just simple discourse was required. The diplomats said Kambwili's language was vulgar too," said one source.
"The President may in a few days replace Kambwili with Given Lubinda while the labour minister Fackson Shamenda may go to tourism; it is not immediately known what will become of Kambwili."
According to sources, there were fears too in government that Kambwili might face pockets of resistance in other ministries where he would be deployed because of his behaviour.
"As for Lubinda, many workers at the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism are not happy with this Cabinet re-shuffle," the source said.
But Kambwili said he was going to sort out issues at labour.
He said he was not bitter with the reshuffle because it was a normal thing for any appointing authority to do.
"I've never used any vulgar language to the diplomats. I'm going to labour to sort out the issue at labour. No, it has nothing to do with using vulgar language, and I've never used any vulgar language. Which diplomats have I used any bad language against? Tell me, which diplomat? I think I've scored a lot of success everywhere I've gone," said Kambwili.
President Michael Sata made a reshuffle in Cabinet, swapping three ministers.
In the reshuffle, Lubinda moves to foreign affairs while Kambwili moves to labour.
And labour minister Fackson Shamenda takes over from Lubinda.
President Sata announced this at State House after swearing in Mutembo Nchito as Director of Public Prosecutions.
President Sata said the move was aimed at improving on the performance of his government.
And Livingstone Tourism Association (LTA) chairperson Kingsley Lilamono said Lubinda was a smart minister who was not dumb and would have made the tourism sector flourish.
"We knew that the tourism sector could go very far with this man. We have a lot of potential in Lubinda," Lilamono said.
Last week Lubinda told the LTA that he would request President Sata to first request whoever he would want to replace him with to get into Livingstone and embark on an expedition of gorge swinging, jet extreme, gorge slide and bungee jumping.
Labels: CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI, DIPLOMACY, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
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Govts wary of 'leaks' effects on public opinion
Posted Monday, December 13 2010 at 16:15
The US diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks may not prove too damaging to countries in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region, but the amount of detail Washington demands from its diplomats here and the range of leaders targeted for investigation is shocking — as shocking as similar targeting of UN officials in New York.
While it is the job of every nation’s diplomatic staff to gather and send information on to their respective governments, the information the US is looking for on the region’s leaders borders on the invasive.
Washington has in addition asked for details on military facilities, such as airfields and army camps, and on military equipment, including numbers, operational status and procurement and refurbishment activity.
Kenyan security sources The EastAfrican spoke to said there is “nothing” they can do in security terms to block this, but added that they are concerned that the leaked US State Department cables by Wikileaks will affect how Kenyans view their leaders, especially if the cables cast them in a negative light, and influence the outcome of the general election in 2012.
Nevertheless, they say it is a matter of concern to what extent foreign intelligence agents may have infiltrated the country to obtain sensitive information on Kenyan leaders, politicians and prominent businessmen.
US ambassadors in the country since 1989, from Smith Hempstone through Aurelia Brazeal to Prudence Bushnell, Johnnie Carson, William Bellamy and currently Michael Ranneberger, have succeeded in winning Kenyans’ trust and confidence by constantly criticising the country’s leaders over corruption.
“Intelligence agents are more concerned if what is contained in the cables negatively affects the integrity and credibility of Kenyan leaders and politicians. It will erode the confidence Kenyans have in their leaders. This is likely to change the way Kenyans think of their leaders because US ambassadors have made Kenyans believe in and trust them,” an intelligence officer said.
Intelligence officers said they believe they would be tasked with providing critical advice to the Kenyan leadership on how to change citizens’ perceptions in case the cable leaks proved negative — which, at the end of last week, turned out to be the case.
In Uganda, intelligence officials declined to comment, arguing that the issue of Wikileaks can only be dealt with by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
But a foreign affairs official argued that the Ugandan government knows that this happens all the time and they are “not bothered.” He explained that all countries have security or defence attaches whose primary purpose is to snoop around.
Uganda is more concerned about the impact of the leaked cables on the workings of diplomacy rather than the implied attack on its sovereignty and the unsavory comments made by American diplomats about key Ugandan figures.
James Mugume, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told The EastAfrican: “That is what ambassadors do, it is their job to gather information about host governments but there is a difference between such statements and official policy.
Diplomats make so make so many assessments about the situation at their stations and sometimes these may reflect the idiosyncrasies of the particular individual rather than official policy about a particular issue, so we don’t think the comments that Wikileaks has selectively leaked represent official American policy or the policy of any government for that matter.”
Mr Mugume however said the leaks undermine the way diplomacy works. “Diplomacy is the first line of defence, but diplomacy only works because it is confidential. Wikileaks has undermined that aspect of diplomacy and as has been stated, they put the lives of people at risk.”
He questioned the motive behind the leaks, saying the selective leaking of scattered pieces of information may serve an agenda beyond giving the public access to government information.
For example, a national human intelligence (“humint”) collection directive issued under Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton’s name calls for highly detailed and personal information on figures at top levels of society in Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.
It says, “… reporting officers should include as much of the following information as possible when they have information relating to persons linked to African Great Lakes.”
This information includes: Office and organisational titles; names, position titles and other information on business cards; numbers of telephones, cell phones, pagers and faxes; compendia of contact information, such as telephone directories and e-mail listings; Internet and intranet “handles,” Internet e-mail addresses, website identification-URLs; credit card account numbers; frequent flyer account numbers; work schedules, and other relevant biographical information.
Biographic and biometric data called for also includes health, opinions toward the US, training history, ethnicity (tribal and/or clan), and language skills of key and emerging political, military, intelligence, opposition, ethnic, religious, and business leaders.
Data should include e-mail addresses, telephone and fax numbers, fingerprints, facial images, DNA, and iris scans.
Other information asked for is on leadership dynamics and decision-making processes of key civilian and military officials; influence of corruption and patronage in decision-making.
They include plans and intentions regarding political succession, including post-election transitions; and any indications of coup plotting.
Also required is information on leaders’ influence on popular opinion and popular sentiments; influence on government leadership of religious organisations, interest groups, ethnic groups, and the military.
Labels: DIPLOMACY, KENYA, SPYING, WIKILEAKS
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Diplomats not happy with Rupiah over Chiluba acquittal
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Monday, September 21, 2009 4:52:58 PM
MOST diplomats accredited to Zambia and other international donors are unhappy with the way President Rupiah Banda and senior government officials are handling the acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba over corruption charges and the refusal to appeal, diplomatic sources have revealed.
Some diplomats, who sought anonymity for diplomatic etiquette, said they were disappointed with the manner in which the Zambian government handled Chiluba's acquittal and the
consequent dismissal of Task Force on Corruption executive chairman Maxwell Nkole after he indicated that the
Task Force on Corruption would appeal against the acquittal.
The sources said they had talked to several senior government officials about the need to enhance the fight against corruption in Zambia but "your government leaders are behaving like they are deaf" and did not heed the advice.
"We have been following these issues closely and we inform our countries back home on all major issues here and the Chiluba case is very big. Almost all international news agencies and media houses are carrying that story and the perception internationally is that your President and your government is not committed to the fight against corruption," the source said.
"About Chiluba's acquittal, they cannot do anything because there are laws and legal people in government who will handle those issues. They said, 'we don't want to interfere'. But that was a very simplistic way of looking at things. We know what is going on in the Chiluba acquittal and the firing of Mr Nkole. We live in this country and we have been following these issues but your President was telling us things as if we don't know what is going on. All embassies, as diplomats, we are unhappy about this acquittal but your leaders are taking us for granted just because we have to follow diplomatic etiquettes."
The sources said it was strange that President Banda and Chiluba had become close and attended functions together.
"Your President and the former president are now close friends; we see the pictures of your President and the former president together most of the times. You can even see these pictures," said the source while displaying photographs of President Banda and Chiluba laughing during the funeral of late local government minister Benny Tetamashimba in Solwezi and during the AIBT graduation ceremony on the front page of The Post.
"We have to explain to our governments about what is happening. We are not happy and that is the feeling of a lot of diplomats in Zambia. As diplomats, we are also concerned about the governing party [MMD's] decision to postpone their convention; we feel that is undemocratic. Yes, this is your country and intraparty politics but you should be seen to be democratic."
The sources said they were also concerned about the delays to complete the constitution-making process.
The sources said during a recent meeting between the cooperating partners and the Zambian government ministers including senior officials, the donors demanded that the government should continue fighting corruption.
"The Swedish said they were shocked about the theft of funds at the Zambian Ministry of Health and the issue of corruption in Zambia had become topical on their national agenda in Sweden. Your minister of health, he was nervous, said the government was also shocked about the thefts but argued that it was not the Zambian government but few individuals in the Ministry of Health who have stolen the money," the source said.
"[European Commission delegation leader ambassador] Dr Derek Fee told your government to assure the donors that the registration of voters countrywide will be concluded before the 2011 elections. But one of your ministers said voter registration cost more money in Zambia than in our countries and Zambia had a lot of pressing issues more than voter registration. But the other government official contradicted that position, saying that there was enough money available to do voter registration and the exercise will be concluded before the 2011 elections. In fact, the official indicated that the exercise has been concluded in three provinces - Eastern, North Western and Western. But we doubt what the official said."
Labels: CHILUBA, CORRUPTION, DIPLOMACY, RUPIAH BANDA
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Ping snubs MDC official ahead of Mbeki meeting
By Lindie Whiz
Last updated: 07/19/2008 11:53:24
AFRICAN Union Commission chairman Jean Ping – meeting South African President Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria on Friday – snubbed Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) after it sent a junior official to meet him in France on Wednesday.
The MDC, pushing for President Thabo Mbeki to be sidelined in favour of an African Union mediator in the diplomatic push for a political settlement to the crisis in Zimbabwe, wanted to brief Ping ahead of his meeting with Mbeki.
Diplomatic sources revealed Ping declined to meet the MDC’s emissary, George Sibotshiwe, the Johannesburg-based spokesman for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and a virtual newcomer to Zimbabwe’s political theatre.
“Ping refused to meet him (Sibotshiwe),” said one diplomatic source. “He instead offered to send his PA to meet Sibotshiwe and in the end the whole thing collapsed.”
Tsvangirai is being privately assailed by some party officials who say he has sidelined loyal party cadres for the sleek PR of Sibotshiwe and an increasingly influential cabal of aides, financiers and advisers based in South Africa.
One MDC official said Tsvangirai was unlikely to have made the call to send Sibotshiwe, blaming it on the “South Africa group”.
“How can they send to a senior AU official someone junior like that (Sibotshiwe), and in the process marginalising MDC structures? Why couldn’t they send (Prof Elphas) Mukonoweshuro who is the foreign affairs spokesman? It is embarrassing because these people ('South Africa group') don’t even know the protocols of international politics. It boomeranged; the result was there was no meeting.”
Sibotshiwe, when reached by telephone on Friday, asked to be called back in 10 minutes. Subsequent phone calls were not answered.
A second MDC spokesman based in Johannesburg, Nqobizitha Mlilo, said only Sibotshiwe could give an explanation.
On Friday, Mbeki pushed ahead with efforts to broker an end to Zimbabwe's crisis by welcoming Ping at his Pretoria Office. Ping came after another meeting between Mbeki and the United Nations’ Zimbabwe trouble-shooter, Haile Menkerios, who was appointed recently.
The closed-door talks were being held ahead of a gathering of foreign ministers in the city of Durban, where Zimbabwe's post-election violence and efforts to bring about some kind of power-sharing deal were to top the agenda.
While Mbeki posed with Menkerios and then Ping at the start of their meetings, he was tight-lipped on what they would discuss.
While little fanfare has surrounded the get-together, it is the first between Ping and Mbeki since Mugabe's re-election in a one-man poll on June 27.
The ballot was widely denounced as a sham in the West after Tsvangirai boycotted the run-off following a wave of deadly attacks on his supporters.
Mbeki has been trying to mediate between the opposition and Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF party but, having made little headway so far, has faced calls to be either axed from his role or at least to begin working in tandem with the AU.
"The MDC has made it clear an expanded (mediation) team provides the best opportunity for a negotiated solution to the Zimbabwe crisis," the news agency AFP reported a source close to Tsvangirai as saying.
"The situation in Zimbabwe is deteriorating on a daily basis and it is essential for the people's welfare that a transitional agreement is reached as soon as possible and we hope the outcome of Friday’s consultations will facilitate this."
The MDC and Zanu PF began preliminary talks last week aimed at establishing a framework for substantive negotiations.
Tsvangirai, who beat Mugabe into second place in the first round of voting in March and does not recognise his old rival's re-election, has so far refused to put his name to a framework deal -- although his aides have hinted he will be ready to sign after the Ping-Mbeki talks.
Mbeki was tasked more than a year ago by the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) to mediate between the MDC and Zanu PF, and was asked to push ahead with his efforts at a summit in April. The AU and UN have recently thrown their weight behind his mediation.
His Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was to give an update on the mediation efforts at Friday's meeting in Durban, with the South African government insistent that a resolution to the Zimbabwe crisis remain the sole preserve of SADC.
"Our view has always been, and I am stressing it, we are being diverted by a fake argument about the expansion of the SADC facilitation," Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad told reporters earlier this week.
"I don't believe that at this very crucial moment, adding new bodies, simply to sit in the same room, is what is required.”
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Labels: AU, DIPLOMACY, JEAN PING, MDC
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