LUSAKA, Zambia — The Zambian government has rejected aspects of a proposed United States agreement that would link health funding to access to critical minerals, citing concerns over privacy, sovereignty, and conditional aid terms.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mulambo Haimbe said on Monday that negotiations between Lusaka and Washington have stalled due to disagreements over the structure of two proposed frameworks: a health funding agreement and a critical minerals deal.
Haimbe revealed that the United States had proposed up to $2 billion (Sh258 billion) in health sector support over five years. However, Zambia objected to certain provisions, particularly those related to data sharing, which officials argue could violate citizens’ privacy rights.
“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.
He stressed that Zambia insists both agreements must be treated separately and evaluated on their own merits, warning against linking public health funding to commercial resource access.
“The Zambian Government has been consistent that the agreements must be considered separately on their respective merits,” he added.
Although Haimbe did not specify the exact nature of the health data requested by the U.S., he indicated that Zambia could not accept provisions that compromise national data protection standards.
On the minerals agreement, the government also raised concerns about clauses perceived to grant preferential treatment to American companies in Zambia’s mining sector, which is a key pillar of the country’s economy.
The U.S. State Department has declined to comment on the specifics of the negotiations, stating only that it does not disclose details of bilateral discussions.
The stalled talks come amid a broader shift in U.S. foreign aid strategy in Africa, where Washington has increasingly sought to link development assistance with strategic access to critical resources.
Several African countries have already signed memorandums of understanding under the new framework, though others—including Ghana and Zimbabwe—have reportedly rejected similar proposals over data governance and sovereignty concerns.
Zambia’s response also follows public criticism from outgoing U.S. Ambassador Michael Gonzales, who accused the government of failing to properly engage on the proposed deal. Haimbe dismissed those claims, insisting that Zambia had actively participated in discussions.
The disagreement highlights growing tensions over how African states navigate partnerships with global powers amid increasing competition for critical minerals used in green energy and technology supply chains.
