• by IPS Correspondents (lusaka)
• Wednesday, December 14, 1994
• Inter Press Service

LUSAKA, Dic 14 (IPS) - RELATIONS BETWEEN THE FREDERICK CHILUBA GOVERNMENT AND GERMANY WERE STRAINED WEDNESDAY AFTER SHARP DIFFERENCES OF OPINION ABOUT ZAMBIA'S INDEPENDENT MEDIA SURFACED.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER REMMY MUSHOTA SLAMMED GERMAN AMBASSADOR PETER SCHMIDT LATE TUESDAY FOR CRITICISING LAST THURDSAY'S POLICE RAID ON 'THE POST,' A BI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER.

MUSHOTA ACCUSED SCHMIDT OF UNDERMINING ZAMBIA'S SOVEREIGNTY BY BARGING INTO 'THE POST' TO CASTIGATE SECURITY MEN WHO WERE CONDUCTING A SEARCH OF THE NEWSROOM AND LIBRARY.

"IT IS IMPORTANT FOR MY MINISTRY TO WARN ALL DIPLOMATS THAT GOVERNMENT WILL NOT HESITATE TO APPLY LAID-DOWN DIPLOMATIC STANDARDS WHERE NECCESSARY," MUSHOTA TOLD JOURNALISTS AFTERWARDS.

"JUST BECAUSE WE ARE A BEGGER STATE DOES NOT MEAN OUR SOVEREIGNTY CAN BE UNDERMINED BECAUSE, EVEN IN POVERTY, THERE IS HONOUR," HE ADDED.

SCHMIDT WARNED LAST FRIDAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S GROWING INTOLERANCE OF THE FREE PRESS COULD COST IT DEARLY IN DONOR FUNDING.

HE WAS BACKED BY DEPUTY BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER BARRIE JONES, WHO SAID THE POLICE RAID ON 'THE POST' WENT CONTRARY TO DONORS' DEFINATIONS OF 'GOOD GOVERNANCE,' WHICH IS A PREREQUISITE FOR DONOR FUNDING.

MUSHOTA SAID WEDNESDAY THAT MORE DIPLOMATS COULD BE SUMMONED OVER THE CONTROVERSY WHEN PRESIDENT FREDERICK CHILUBA, WHO HAS BEEN ON A WEEK-LONG EUROPEAN TOUR, RETURNS.

THE GERMAN EMBASSY DECLINED TO RESPOND TO MUSHOTA'S TONGUE- LASHING, SAYING SCHMIDT DID NOT WANT TO SPOIL THE COSY RELATIONSHIP HIS GOVERNMENT ENJOYED WITH ZAMBIA.

THE DEC. 8 RAID ON 'THE POST' COINCIDED WITH THE OPENING OF THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP MEETING ON ZAMBIA, AT WHICH DONORS PLEDGED 2.15 BILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR ZAMBIA IN 1995.

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