By Brian Matambo – Location Unknown

While President Hakainde Hichilema conspicuously skipped this year’s United Nations General Assembly, veteran diplomat Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba has taken his place among world leaders and global actors in New York.

Mwamba, Zambia’s former High Commissioner to South Africa and ex-Permanent Representative to the African Union and UN Economic Commission for Africa, was officially invited to attend the UN’s 80th Anniversary and High-Level Week. His credentials leave no doubt that he belongs at such platforms.

In a twist that has raised eyebrows, President Hichilema could not even delegate the Vice President to represent him, instead sending his Foreign Affairs Minister. Critics say this reflects both a lack of confidence and an erosion of Zambia’s stature on the international stage.

Mwamba, now temporarily based in the United States after he was allegedly abducted and tortured by police under the UPND regime, has used the global platform to highlight Zambia’s governance failures. The ruling party has come under growing fire for its declining human rights record, heavy-handed crackdowns, and shrinking democratic space.

As Mwamba engages in side meetings and is seen exchanging notes with leaders like Kenya’s President William Ruto, questions linger back home: why did Hichilema abandon the world stage at such a critical moment, and why is Zambia being represented at half-mast?