Zambia’s Foreign Minister Mulambo Hamakuni Haimbe addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 29, 2025. Image@ REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
Zambia has pushed back against Washington’s attempt to make a proposed $2 billion health funding package conditional on a separate critical minerals agreement, with Lusaka’s top diplomat offering the most detailed public account yet of why talks with the United States have hit a wall.
Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe said the two deals — a health memorandum of understanding and a critical minerals framework — must be evaluated independently, rejecting what he described as Washington’s insistence on bundling them together.
“A further concern… is the coupling of the proposed agreements and frameworks to one another such that the conclusion of the critical minerals agreement is made conditional to the conclusion of the Health MOU,” Haimbe said. “The Zambian Government has been consistent that the agreements must be considered separately on their respective merits.”
On the health deal, Haimbe said the U.S. had offered support of up to $2 billion over five years, but that certain data-sharing conditions would infringe on Zambians’ right to privacy. He did not specify what health data Washington was seeking.
Zambia’s objections to the minerals agreement centred on demands for preferential treatment for American companies — terms Lusaka found unacceptable. The U.S. State Department has declined to comment, saying it does not disclose details of bilateral negotiations.
Haimbe’s statement came in direct response to criticism from outgoing U.S. Ambassador Michael Gonzales, who accused Zambia of failing to meaningfully engage with the health funding offer — a charge the foreign minister denied.
Health advocates had previously flagged concerns that the proposed health deal effectively tied aid money to mining access while introducing data-sharing risks. Zambia’s government had until now only acknowledged in vague terms that parts of the agreement did not align with national interests.
Zambia is not alone in its resistance. Several African nations have been presented with memorandums of understanding under the Trump administration’s restructured foreign aid framework. Ghana and Zimbabwe have both rejected similar arrangements, also citing unacceptable data-sharing demands.
Zambia is among Africa’s largest copper producers, making it a key target for Washington as the U.S. seeks to secure supply chains for minerals critical to electric vehicles and defence technologies — sectors where China currently holds significant global leverage.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah