U.S. Government Recalls Ambassador To Zambia Amid Diplomatic Row Over Gay Rights

The United States government has called back its ambassador to Zambia amid a diplomatic row with authorities after he criticized the country’s highest court for jailing a gay couple, embassy sources said on Monday, reported Reuters.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Ambassador Daniel Foote is no longer tenable in Zambia as President Edgar Lungu said he is not ready to work with the U.S. ambassador anymore. Mr. Foote served as Zambia’s ambassador since December 2017.

 “Despite this action, the United States remains committed to our partnership with the Zambian people,” the spokesperson said. “We seek an open and frank relationship of mutual respect, commensurate with the generous aid provided to the Zambian people by the United States.”

He added that the U.S. opposes abuses against LGBTI persons. He said that governments have an obligation to ensure that all people can freely enjoy the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms to which they are entitled.

In a statement released earlier this month, Foote said he was horrified that a court had sentenced Japhet Chataba and Steven Samba to 15 years in prison after they were caught having sex in 2017 which was against the order of nature.

Foote said that Zambia had accused him of interfering in the country’s affairs with his criticism of what he said was the harsh sentencing of the couple. He went on to criticize Zambian officials for not giving him a meeting with the country’s president given the amount of aid the United States gives Zambia.

The United States provides hundreds of millions of dollars every year to Zambia in financial support.

Notably, Zambia is a deeply conservative country where homosexual acts are deemed illegal. In fact, most of the Africam countries consider same-sex relationships as taboo and gay sex as a crime, with punishments ranging from imprisonment to death.