Zambia asks US to withdraw US ambassador over gay row

The Zambian government has asked the United States to withdraw its ambassador from the country, after the diplomat criticised the jailing of two men for being in a gay relationship. 

Daniel Foote, who has held the position since 2017, said he was “horrified” when a judge sentenced the men to 15 years in prison last month.  He urged the government to review the case. 

Zambia’s president, Edgar Lungu, said that he did not want people like Mr Foote in the country. He is currently awaiting a response from Washington.

Homosexual relationships remain illegal in Zambia under sodomy laws inherited from British colonial rule. These laws have remained largely unchanged since independence in 1964 and a 2010 survey revealed that only 2% of Zambians consider homosexuality to be morally acceptable. 

Photo credit: Getty Images | Drew Angerer