Zambia : conflict and co-operation in Southern Africa, 1964-1988

M.A. (History)In the last three decades Zambia's relations with neighboring states in southern Africa have undergone many changes and have fluctuated from one extreme to the other. From having been in a "state of war" with some of her neighbors, and then having moved away from this to a state where co-operation has taken place, illustrates the extremities of the two poles between which Zambia's foreign relations function. The factors which have influenced this ever changing foreign policy are extremely complex and are intricately interwoven. No single factor can be identified as the most important, although the geographical constraints of Zambia's position, and the many factors which are linked to them, tend to dominate the making of foreign policy. The main dilemma facing Zambia is that she is economically dependent on the countries with which she has had poor relations. While having had to criticize, condemn and be actively involved in attempting to bring an end to the racial policies followed by some of her southern African neighbors, she has also had to, at times, back down on her criticisms when economic or military reprisals from these neighboring states hate detrimentally affected her own position too much. However, when having backed down, or modified her aggressive attitude to these minority governments, she has, as a FrontIine State incurred the wrath of certain independent African states. Because of this fluctuating foreign policy, President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, has been accused of following a policy of "gross duplicity," as well as of backing down when the price of principles has become too high