Hakainde Hichilema made his first foreign trip as president of Zambia to the United States. The primary focus of the visit was to attend the 76th UNGA Conference where he addressed the general assemble on 21 September. Hichilema also met with US Vice-President Kamala Harris along with various US government officials.[2] Hichielma also visited Zambians living in the United States and met with the African Business Council before returning home.[3][4]
Hichilema attended the Climate Change Conference in Glasgow also known as COP26. He addressed the assembly on November 2 and throughout the conference met with various delegates on the sidelines.[5][6]
Hakainde Hichilema attended the ribbon ceremony of the second edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair 2021. He was present along with 6 other regional heads of states.[7]
Hakainde Hichilema attended the UNICEF World Children's Day celebrations held at the Kazungula Bridge in Botswana. The event was attended by the presidents of Botswana, Namibia & Zimbabwe.[8]
Hakainde Hichilema attended the DRC-Africa Business Forum held in Kinshasa. Hichilema also held bilateral talks with DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, the two presidents discussed increasing co-operations in infrastructure projects, such as developing a power pool, roads and bridges.[9][10]
Hakainde Hichilema makes his first official bilateral official visit to Malawi. Hichilema met with President Lazarus Chakwera on his one-day visit. Both leaders agreed to boost trade relations between the two countries.[11]
2022
The following international trips were made by Hakainde Hichilema in 2022.
Hakainde Hichilema made a day trip to Malawi for the SADC Extraordinary summit. The summit primarily focused on extending the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIN) past January 15.[12]
Hakainde Hichilema made a trip to UAE to official open the Zambian National Day at Expo 2020. The president also held bilateral talks with various UAE ministers on the sidelines.[13]
Hichilema made a visit to South Africa where he met his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa to discuss bilateral trade and security agreements.[14]
35th Ordinary session of the assembly of the African Union
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Hichilema made a visit to Ethiopia for the AU Summit. The theme of the conference was “building resilience in nutrition and food security on the African continent: strengthen agriculture, accelerate human capital, social and economic development”. He held bilateral talks with various leaders on the sidelines.[15]
Hichilema attended the Mining Indaba 2022 conference held in Cape Town. The conference is an event for investments in African mining investments and Hichilema was a keynote speaker. The president also held bilateral talks with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa and Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi.[18]
Hichilema attended the state banquet in Eswatini which was hosted by King Mswati III. The president signed two MOUs with the country in tourism and politics.[19]
Hichilema made a state visit to Kenya to meet Kenyan counter-part Uhuru Kenyatta. The leaders discussed various bilateral issues, but the primary focus of the meeting was to increase direct trade between the two nations and help eliminate trade and non-trade barriers between the two nations.[20]
Hichilema addressed the European Parliament. Among the people Hichilema met with were the President of the European Union (EU) Parliament, the EU Vice President and Commissioner for Trade, the Vice President of the EU Green Deal, and the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships.[21]
Hichilema made one day state visit to Tanzania to meet his counterpart President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Various MOUs were signed. Both presidents held talks to upgrade the TAZARA Railway to Standard-gauge railway status and to revamp the Tazama Pipeline. Other topics included transit cargo, defense, agriculture, trade and mining.[23]
Hichilema attended the 77th UNGA meeting in New York City where he addressed the general debate.[25] On the sidelines of the summit, the president held talks with:
The president, also met various Zambians in diaspora, attended the US-Africa Business Forum and attended the presidential dinner hosted by US president Joe Biden.[33]
Hichilema made two day state visit to Namibia to attended the keynote address at the Swakopmund International Trade Expo - SWAiTEX. The president was invited by Namibia President Hage Geingob. After attending the trade expo, the duo also attended the Zambia-Namibia Business Seminar.[34]
Hichilema attended the COP27 conference held in Egypt. He met with several African leaders on the sidelines of the summit and signed an MOU with the European Union on forestry projects.[36]
Hichilema attended the US-Africa Summit hosted by President Joe Biden.[37] At the visit, Hichilema announced that would invest $150m in the Mingomba copper-cobalt mine in Zambia.[38]
2023
The following international trips were made by Hakainde Hichilema in 2023.
Hakainde Hichilema makes his first official bilateral official visit to Angola. Hichilema met with President João Lourenço.[39] The two countries signed many MoUs in road, rail, oil and electricity infrastructure to increase trade between the two countries. Hichilema also addressed the Angolan parliament. Following the events in Luanda, the president went to Lobito to explore infrastructure in the city.[40]
Hakainde Hichilema visits Abu Dhabi to attend the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Conference. Zambia and the UAE signed many MoUs mainly in the Energy and Finance sectors. On the last day of the visit, Hichilema signed a $2bn finance deal with the UAE for the development of Solar farms in the country.[41][42]
Hichilema along with 18 various African leaders attended the Feed Africa Dakar 2 Summit. Hichilema was a keynote speaker on mobilizing cheaper capital for Agriculture projects. The summit hosted by the African Development Bank pledged to increase its investment in continental food production.[43]
36th Ordinary session of the assembly of the African Union
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Hichilema made a visit to Ethiopia for the AU Summit. The theme of the conference was “The Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation.” He held bilateral talks with various leaders on the sidelines.[45]
At the LDC5 conference, where Hichilema was present, a revitalized collaboration between LDCs and their development partners was agreed upon in order to address structural issues, reduce poverty, accomplish internationally recognized development goals, and enable LDCs to leave the LDC category. He held bilateral talks with various leaders on the sidelines including António Guterres, King Mswati III, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.[46][47]
Hichilema undertook a state visit to Mozambique to bolster ties and enhance trade between the two nations. Discussions with Filipe Nyusi, the President of Mozambique, during the visit centered around strengthening cooperation in areas such as defense and security, transport and communications, industry and trade, mining, and agriculture. The Mayor of Maputo, Eneas Comiche, awarded Hichilema with the "Freedom of the City" and presented him with the Key to the City.[48]
The theme of the sixth Transform Africa Summit was "Connect, Transform and Innovate," with a particular emphasis on rules and regulations, funding for digital infrastructure, capacity building and skill development, and digital continental commerce.[49]
Hichilema took part, on 5 May 2023, in a Commonwealth Heads of State and Government pre-coronation summit where King Charles III, the new Commonwealth Head was present. On 6 May 2023, he attended the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.[50] During the coronation event, Hichilema held bilateral meetings with various members of the community:
After the summit, Hichilema headed towards Scotland at the invitation of Heriot-Watt University and the first minister Humza Yousaf. Hichilema spoke to a wider audience to encourage trade & investment support from Scotland to encourage joint ventures.[53]
The meeting's discussion centered on potential for trade and investment between Zambia and France as well as problems with debt relief. The Paris Club of Creditors and the G20, which have been addressing Zambia's debt problem under the Common Debt Treatment Framework, include France as a major participant in the debt restructuring program for Zambia.[54]
Upon returning to London from Paris, Hichilema went to the Invest Africa-hosted Zambia Investment Forum, The Africa Debate and attended various meetings on the sidelines.[55][56] Hichilema also met James Cleverly the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom.[57]
Hichilema held talks with Polish president Andrzej Duda, Bilateral talks were centered around education and technology. The visit was right before Hichilema and various other African leaders began their African Peace Initiative Mission to Ukraine and the Russian Federation regarding cooperation to resolve the Russo-Ukrainian War.[58]
Hichilema traveled to Bucha as part of the African Peace Initiative Mission together with other African Heads of State and high-ranking officials from the Comoro Islands, the Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda.[59] The delegation subsequently visited Kyiv for a meeting with Zelenskyy. Two items on the agenda were to find a peaceful solution to an end to the war and the continued flow of grain from Ukraine to the global south. Zelenskyy denied to have any negotiations unless Russia entirely withdrew its forces from Ukraine.[60] The trip received a mix of reaction from the global community due to the poor track record of the African Union's ability to resolve conflicts in Africa.[61]
As part of the African Peace Initiative Mission to address the situation between Russia and Ukraine, Hichilema along with three other African Heads of State and three high level government officials from three other African countries met with Putin. The initiative aimed to encourage communication and amicable negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.[62] After a largely unsuccessful visit to Ukraine, Russia and Putin showed little to no interest to negotiate terms.[63]
Hichilema made his first state visit to Rwanda per the invitation of Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame as a reciprocal visit Following Kagame's state visit to Zambia in April 2022. The two-day state visit by Hichilema to Rwanda began in Kigali at the invitation of Paul Kagame. Both leaders discussed bilateral relations in the matters of trade, agriculture and extradition of Rwandan genocide fugatives.[64] Also part of the trip Hichilema visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Kigali House and the Kigali Special Economic Zone. On the 21st of June, Hichilema also attended the Inclusive FinTech Forum where he was a keynote speaker.[65]
Hichilema attended the New Global Financing Pact summit. The summit was focused on new multi-lateral financing for countries, especially with regards to climate change. On the sidelines of the summit, Hichilema and his team were able to negotiate a debt restructuring deal for Zambia's external debt worth $6.3bn with its creditors.[66][67]
Hichilema made a day trip to Lobito where he attended the ceremony of the commencement of the concession of railway services and support logistics of the Lobito Corridor to the Lobito Atlantic Railway Company. The concession agreement covers the entire Lobito to Kolwezi line and any extensions into Zambia. The ceremony was also attended by Angolan president João Lourenço and DRC president Félix Tshisekedi.[68]
Hichilema made his first bilateral state visit to West Africa to Ghana. During Hichilema's three-day state visit, 10 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Ghana and Zambia were signed. Trade and investment, tourism, the arts, and culture, as well as science, technology, and innovation, were all covered by the agreements.[69] Hichilema was also awarded an honorary doctorate degree by Valley View University.[70]
Hichilema embarked on his bilateral state visit to the Middle East, to Israel. During this momentous occasion, he had the privilege of meeting with Israeli PresidentIsaac Herzog and Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu. The discussions with the president centered on exploring further avenues to strengthen trade and cooperation between their respective nations. During the meeting with Netanyahu, they engaged in fruitful discussions to explore numerous ways to enhance the relations between their countries for the mutual benefit of their citizens.
Hichilema made his first state visit to China where we met with President Xi Jinping. He toured the country across 6 days meeting various business leaders in various industries to encourage them to invest in Zambia. Debt servicing and mining MoUs were the main discussion points between both countries.[72]
Hichilema attended the inauguration of newly refurbished port of Nacala in Mozambique. Presidents of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi and Malawi Lazarus Chakwera both attended the event and witnessed the signing of the Nacala Corridor Development Agreements (NDA).[73]
Hakainde Hichilema attended the Extra-Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to hold talks on strengthening peace and security in the Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).[75]
President Hakainde Hichilema engaged in bilateral discussions with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the 5th G20 Compact with Africa (CwA) Summit in Berlin. The talks, held on the sidelines of the summit, focused on enhancing cooperation between Zambia and Germany. The leaders explored possibilities for German involvement in infrastructure projects and discussed the promotion of German business investments in value addition within Zambia's agriculture sector.[77]
Hichilema made a state visit to Italy after concluding the 5th G20 summit in Germany. He met with Italian president Sergio Mattarella. Both leaders held bilateral talks and presided over the Zambia-Italy business forum. On the last day of the visit, Hichilema paid a visit to the Maccarese Farm outside of Rome and invited the company to set up a similar operation in Zambia.[78][79]
On Sunday, February 18, Hichilema along with Samia Suluhu and other regional leaders were present during the unveiling of a new statue of the former Tanzanian President the Late Julius Nyerere at the African Union.[85]
Hichilema attended the funeral of Namibian President Hage Geingob.[86]
Related Research Articles
The politics of Zambia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president of Zambia is head of state, head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government, while legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. Formerly Northern Rhodesia, Zambia became a republic immediately upon attaining independence in October 1964.
Zambia is a developing country, and it achieved middle-income status in 2011. Through the first decade of the 21st century, the economy of Zambia was one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, and its capital, Lusaka, the fastest-growing city in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Zambia's economic performance has stalled in recent years due to declining copper prices, significant fiscal deficits, and energy shortages.
The United Party for National Development (UPND) is a liberal political party in Zambia, led by Hakainde Hichilema, the current president of the country. The party is an observer member of the Africa Liberal Network.
Hakainde Hichilema is a Zambian businessman, farmer, and politician who is the seventh and current president of Zambia since 24 August 2021. After having contested five previous elections in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2016, he won the 2021 presidential election with 59.02% of the vote. He has led the United Party for National Development since 2006 following the death of the party founder Anderson Mazoka.
Chama District with the headquarters at Chama is the largest district of the Eastern Province in Zambia and includes a large wilderness in the Upper Luangwa valley just north-east of the North Luangwa National Park. It is made up of two constituencies, namely Chama North and Chama South.
Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is a Malawian politician and theologian who has served as President of Malawi and minister of defence since June 2020. He also serves as minister of defence per Malawian constitution, he has served as the leader of the Malawi Congress Party since 2013. He was President of the Malawi Assemblies of God from 1989 to 2013.
Presidential elections were held in Zambia on 20 January 2015 to elect a president to serve the remainder of the term of President Michael Sata, following his death on 28 October 2014.
General elections were held in Zambia on 11 August 2016 to elect the President and National Assembly. A constitutional referendum was held alongside the elections, with proposals to amend the bill of rights and Article 79.
Christine Kaseba is a Zambian physician, surgeon and politician who served as the First Lady of Zambia from September 2011 until her husband's death in October 2014. She is the widow of former President Michael Sata, who died in office on October 28, 2014. Kaseba made an unsuccessful bid for President of Zambia in the January 2015 special presidential election to succeed her husband. She was appointed Zambian Ambassador to France on April 16, 2018.
Edgar Chagwa Lungu is a Zambian politician who served as the sixth president of Zambia from 26 January 2015 to 24 August 2021. Under President Michael Sata, Lungu served as Minister of Justice and Minister of Defence. Following Sata's death in October 2014, Lungu was adopted as the candidate of the Patriotic Front in a Convention of the Patriotic Front in Kabwe, for the January 2015 presidential by-election, which was to determine who would serve out the remainder of Sata's term. In the election, he narrowly defeated opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema and took office on 25 January 2015.
Tanzania– Zambia relations are bilateral relations between Tanzania and Zambia. Tanzania and Zambia are one of the oldest allies in the region and together formed the front line nations for independence for neighboring African nations. Both nations are part of the Southern African Development Community, African Union and Non-Aligned Movement.
Joseph Kalimbwe is a Zambian politician, author and activist. Previously, he was president of the African Union youth simulation in 2014 and president of the student representative council of the University of Namibia in 2017. He has written for the Namibian Sun, and has published three books including Persecuted in Search of Change in 2017, The Pain of An Empty Stomach in 2015 and Teenage-Hood & the Impact of the Western World in 2014.
General elections were held in Zambia on 12 August 2021 to elect the President, National Assembly, mayors, council chairs and councillors. Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development was elected president, defeating incumbent Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front.
Events in the year 2021 in Zambia.
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The inauguration of Hakainde Hichilema as the 7th president of Zambia was held on 24 August 2021. President-elect Hichilema won by a landslide with over 996,000 votes between him and the Incumbent president Edgar Lungu who got 1,814, 201 votes in the August 2021 presidential election. Hakainde Hichilema took the oath alongside Mutale Nalumango as the Vice-president of Zambia. The venue for the inauguration was National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. Attendance was supposed to be restricted to invited guests only due to the Covid-19 preventive protocols, but was later made open to the public resulting in a filled out stadium The day of the inauguration was declared a public holiday in Zambia by president Edgar Lungu.
The Zambia National Service, abbreviated ZNS, is part of the Zambian Defence Force, has been a cornerstone of national development since its establishment in 1971 through an Act of Parliament. Committed to the twin objectives of training civilian and safeguarding the territorial integrity of Zambia, the ZNS Act empowers them to prepare individuals to dutifully serve and protect our nation. However, it's not only about defense; ZNS also plays a vital role in imparting agricultural and craft skills to Zambians, promoting self-sufficiency and national prosperity. Originating in 1963 as the Land Army, ZNS has evolved into a dynamic force for national progress, underlining its multifaceted contribution to Zambia. Additionally, ZNS is also a major sponsor of Green Eagles football club, further exemplifying its commitment to the nation's well-being.
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