Zambia delaying US deals over minerals and data demands

Government in Lusaka calls for partnership, not aid, as it rejects US funds due to strategic autonomy concerns.

The Zambian government has suspended negotiations with the United States on multi-billion dollar deals for health services and minerals

Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe said on Monday that the proposed agreements have stalled due to Washington’s “unacceptable” terms and demands for preferential treatment.

A health agreement, under which the US offered up to $2 billion over the next five years, is on hold due to the “incorporation of terms that the Zambian government considers unacceptable,” his statement said. In particular, Zambia said demands that it share data would violate “citizens rights”.

A separate deal on critical minerals has been delayed due to US insistence that its companies receive preferential treatment. Zambia is Africa’s second leading copper producer and has significant reserves of other minerals.

Haimbe said Zambia is also concerned over “the coupling of the two agreements,” with the US making the conclusion of the health deal dependent on the minerals deal.

The Zambian Government has been consistent in asserting that the agreements must be considered separately on their respective merits, he said.

Last week, the outgoing US ambassador to Lusaka, Michael Gonzales, spoke of concerns related to Zambia’s anti-corruption efforts and of structural issues tied to US support for the health sector, according to officials cited by Anadolu Agency.

Haimbe rejected the claims, saying ties between Lusaka and Washington are not based on aid but on a strong and growing partnership rooted in strategic co-operation.

Health advocates had ⁠warned that the proposed health deal linked the money to mining access and brought data-sharing risks, but Zambia’s government previously said only that parts of it were not aligned with the country’s ⁠interests.

A number of African nations have signed memorandums of understanding which represent the US approach to foreign aid under President Donald Trump.

However, Zambia now joins Ghana and Zimbabwe in rejecting Washington’s demands, with particular concerns about data sharing.