Africa-Press – Zambia. Love fades between America and Zambia’
…is this a story of ‘darling to pariah’ unfolding?
Amb. Anthoy Mukwita reflects-
“But beneath the jargon lies a more uncomfortable truth: Zambia has slipped from Washington’s priority list.”
31 Dec 2025.
Once upon a diplomatic time, Zambia was the darling of Washington, a poster child for democratic promise, a reliable partner in peacekeeping, and a beacon of stability in a turbulent region.
I know because Uncle Sam was my first ‘international love’ when in my teen twenties, 23 years thereabout, I flew into the US via a prestigious American program. T’was love at first bite.
That was 1994, fast forward to 1 January 2026, and that darling has been unceremoniously dumped. The separation is posted on the US embassy Zambia Facebook page.
Where is Zambia now on the visa line?
Uncle Sam has lumped us, Zambia, into a basket of 19 countries whose citizens will no longer be granted visas. The message is clear: “We loved you once, but now you’re just another problem to manage.”
The irony is thick. Zambia, a nation that once hosted American aid workers, scholars, and investors with open arms, probably the largest embassy building on the continent, now finds itself treated like a delinquent cousin at the family reunion.
The U.S. rationale, security concerns, immigration enforcement, and diplomatic leverage, reads like a bureaucratic laundry list.
But beneath the jargon lies a more uncomfortable truth: Zambia has slipped from Washington’s priority list.
This is not the first slap. Zambians already faced punitive visa fees and refundable bonds, a humiliating reminder that Uncle Sam doesn’t trust them to play by the rules.
Zambian B1/B2 visa applicants, under a U.S. pilot program started August 2025, must pay a refundable bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, determined at their interview, to curb visa overstays.
Crunch $15,000 you are talking about K333,000 before you can even purchase a return air ticket. Is it worth it for a person where a majority live on about $2 per day and dependent on US charity among others?
Now, the outright ban escalates the insult. Students who dreamed of Ivy League halls, entrepreneurs who sought Silicon Valley partnerships, and families who cherished cultural exchange are all collateral damage in a geopolitical tantrum.
How did we hit rock bottom?
What changed? I can only but guess. The love story soured when Zambia began flirting with other suitors maybe, China’s infrastructure billions, Russia’s diplomatic overtures, and regional alliances that don’t always align with U.S. interests.
Add whispers of democratic backsliding and governance hiccups, and suddenly Zambia is no longer the “model African democracy” but a cautionary tale.
Washington, ever eager to project toughness, decided to make an example. I am just spit balling here.
The tragedy is not just symbolic. The ban undermines Zambia’s global image, grouping it with fragile states and conflict zones.
It sends a chilling signal to investors and partners: if the U.S. doesn’t trust Zambia, why should anyone else?
For a country striving to position itself as a hub of stability and opportunity, this is reputational kryptonite.
And yet, the satire writes itself. America, the self proclaimed champion of democracy, punishes Zambia for sins far less grave than those committed by other “strategic allies.”
The visa ban is less about Zambia’s failures and more about Washington’s ‘national interest’ which comes first. It is easier to close the door than to engage in messy dialogue.
Easier to lump Zambia with Somalia and Afghanistan than to admit that the relationship requires repair.
Because if that was the case, how come Saudi Arabia aint banned? Or Israel as Dave Chappelle would ask?
So where did the love go? It evaporated in the fog of shifting priorities, transactional diplomacy, and the cold calculus of immigration politics. Zambia is no longer the darling; it is the scapegoat.
But here’s the kicker: bans don’t build bridges, they burn them. If Washington hopes to regain influence in Lusaka, it must rediscover the art of partnership, not punishment.
Until then, Zambia will wear its new badge of dishonour with a mix of indignation and irony. After all, nothing fuels satire better than a fallen romance.
Is it not that great philosopher all of us in diplomacy aspire to be—Dr Henry Kissinger—who once said, “To be an enemy of America can be dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal.
I always say, make Zambia great again, happy new year around the corner.
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Amb. Anthony Mukwita is an International Relations Analyst & Author
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