When the World’s Fences Fail, the Peaceful Oasis Must Build Walls of Wisdom: A Comprehensive National Security, Immigration, and Values Resilience Blueprint for Zambia

SUBTITLE:
A comprehensive multi-point policy proposal for maintaining Zambia’s status as Africa’s most peaceful nation through advanced border security, immigration integrity, community intelligence, religious compliance, and uncompromising national sovereignty.

CAPTION:
Zambia’s peace and sovereignty are not negotiable. Learning from Europe’s immigration miscalculations and Singapore’s technological rigor, we present the 25-point blueprint that will keep Zambia the safest and most stable nation in Africa.

AUTHOR:
Freud Musanu
President, Zambia Diaspora Chamber of Commerce (ZDCC) Kansas City, Missouri

Expected Submittal to:

• His Excellency, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia
• The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security
• The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
• The Minister of Justice
• The Director-General, Zambia Immigration Service
• The Inspector-General, Zambia Police Service
• The Commander, Zambia Army
• The Clerk of the National Assembly

Zambia stands at a crossroads that history will not forgive us for ignoring. We are, by the grace of sound leadership and a peace-loving people, one of Africa’s most peaceful nations—a fact that President Hakainde Hichilema has rightly celebrated as his administration’s “first and most important achievement”. Investors have returned, international confidence has grown, and our neighbors “look to us as a model of stability”. Over $12 billion in mining sector investment has flowed into the country precisely because of this hard-won peace.

But peace is not passive. It is not the default condition of nations. It is a fortress that must be actively maintained, repaired, and reinforced against forces that would breach it—some visible, some insidious, some internal, and many external.

This document—submitted on behalf of the Zambia Diaspora Chamber of Commerce (ZDCC) —is both a celebration of how far we have come and a sober, unambiguous blueprint for what must be done to ensure that Zambia never becomes what other once-peaceful nations have become: overwhelmed, compromised, and fragmented by forces they saw coming but failed to stop.

We have watched. We have studied. We have learned from the mistakes of others. Now we must act.

PART I: ZAMBIA’S PRECIOUS AND FRAGILE PEACE—THE FOUNDATION WE MUST NOT SQUANDER

Zambia has experienced two peaceful political transitions from the ruling party to the opposition (2011 and 2021) in the last fifteen years, raising hopes of becoming a model of democratic stability in Southern Africa. Our foreign policy is anchored on two legs: “one on peace, security and stability and another on economic and social development” .

The creation of a National Peace Infrastructure, in alignment with the African Union’s Continental Framework on National Infrastructures for Peace (NPI), has positioned Zambia as a leader in inclusive, nationally owned conflict prevention and resolution structures.

But we must be honest with ourselves: our peace is under pressure from multiple directions. The DRC conflict to our north has pushed more than 105,000 refugees into our territory. Cross-border crime, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and cyber-related offenses increasingly threaten our stability. The receding water levels of the Zambezi River have created new, unmonitored crossing points that are being exploited daily.

The question before us is not whether these pressures will intensify—they absolutely will. The question is whether we will build the systems, laws, and culture to absorb them without fracturing.

We believe the answer is yes. This document explains how.

PART II: THE EUROPEAN WARNING—WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOODWILL MEETS NO VETTING

Before we outline solutions, we must candidly confront the cautionary tales that the developed world has provided us—not with schadenfreude, but with the humility of a nation determined to learn rather than repeat.

Europe opened its doors. In many cases, it opened them with the best of humanitarian intentions—granting asylum, subsidiary protection, and various immigration statuses to millions fleeing conflicts in Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine. What happened next should haunt every Zambian policymaker awake at night.

Across the continent, from Finland to Portugal, from Greece to Ireland, governments are now “steadily tightening their immigration policies” . Germany has suspended family reunification for two years for certain categories of migrants. Portugal has overturned regulations that allowed tourists to legalize their status. The UK has seen the “overt demonization of immigrants” intensify as migration shoots up the political agenda.

The phrase “We want our country back” —once the fringe slogan of extremists—has become mainstream political discourse. Denmark passed a “Ghetto Law” that the European Union’s Advocate General has indicated “runs counter to the values of the Union”.

What went wrong? The analysis is now clear, and it is devastating in its simplicity: countries granted entry, residency, and citizenship without demanding—and enforcing—cultural integration, respect for laws, and alignment with founding national values. They assumed that the gift of refuge would be repaid with gratitude and assimilation. Instead, in too many cases, it was met with demands for accommodation of practices fundamentally at odds with host-country norms.

The result has been an identity crisis that has shaken European polities to their core. Anti-immigrant rallies—from the PEGIDA marches in Dresden to the populist energy behind Brexit—”reveal an underlying tension that is yet to be resolved between ideals of equality and fears about identity loss”.

Zambia must not repeat this mistake. We must welcome the stranger—it is our Christian duty and our national character to do so. But we must do so with eyes wide open, with rigorous vetting, with clear expectations, and with the absolute willingness to enforce our laws against any person—citizen or non-citizen—who seeks to undermine the peace that defines us.

The lesson from Europe is not “don’t welcome.” The lesson is: “welcome intelligently, integrate rigorously, enforce consistently, and never mistake tolerance for surrender of your values.”

PART III: THE BORDERS—WHERE SOVEREIGNTY BEGINS AND MUST NEVER BEND

Zambia shares borders with eight countries—Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe—spanning over 5,600 kilometers. Each border presents unique challenges. Collectively, they represent the single greatest vulnerability to our national security.

A. The Current Reality: Acknowledging the Gaps

The challenges are not theoretical. They are documented, persistent, and accelerating:

• The SADC has acknowledged “persistent challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, recurring congestion, informal cross-border trading, and poor surveillance” at key border posts.
• Zambia and Tanzania have jointly recognized that irregular migration, human trafficking, and smuggling “pose a serious threat to the human rights and dignity of migrants, the security and stability of both countries, and the development and integration of the region” .
• The Kasumbalesa Border Post has been the subject of multiple SADC-level meetings seeking “lasting solutions” to infrastructure and security challenges.
• Zambia has begun beefing up border controls and, for the first time, plans to employ border guards in response to rising illegal migration.

These are commendable steps. But they are insufficient.

B. The Singapore Model: What World-Class Border Security Looks Like

Singapore—a nation smaller than Lusaka Province—has built the most advanced border security apparatus in the world. It does so not with massive military deployments but with technology, biometrics, and relentless efficiency.

Singapore’s Multi-Modal Biometrics System (MMBS) captures iris, facial, and fingerprint data of every arriving and departing traveler. The system enables passport-less clearance using high-accuracy facial recognition. As of March 2026, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) is progressively rolling out facial recognition across all land, air, and sea checkpoints, including all 70 automated motorcycle lanes.

The country’s Automated Immigration Management System (AIMS) captures passport data, fingerprints, and facial biometrics, enabling authorities to reduce processing time, minimize manual intervention, and—most critically—pre-identify high-risk individuals before they arrive.

In 2024 alone, Singapore denied entry to 33,100 foreigners deemed to pose immigration or security risks.

Why can Zambia not build a scaled version of this?

C. The Schengen Warning: The Cost of Information Asymmetry

The Schengen Information System (SIS) is Europe’s largest and most frequently used information-sharing platform for border security and law enforcement. It allows participating countries to issue and consult alerts on persons and objects in a common database. The system has helped “police and border authorities arrest suspects and locate missing people across Schengen countries”.

But the SIS also reveals a critical vulnerability that Zambia must not replicate: gaps between database entries and real-time intelligence sharing persist. As one recent analysis noted, “gaps persist in tracking fugitives” despite the system’s sophistication.

The lesson for Zambia is clear: a database is only as good as the information fed into it and the speed with which that information is shared across agencies.

D. The Zambia Solution: NIBIS

We propose the immediate establishment of the National Integrated Border and Immigration System (NIBIS) —a single, unified platform with the following capabilities:

1. Biometric verification at all points of entry —fingerprints, facial recognition, and iris scans for all foreign nationals entering or exiting Zambia.
2. Real-time tracking of all entries and exits —so that no person can enter without being recorded and no person can overstay without being flagged.
3. Automated flagging of overstays, visa violations, and watchlisted individuals.
4. Quarterly public reports on migration flows, asylum applications, and citizenship grants —because transparency is the enemy of abuse.
5. Interoperability with the ECOWAS ENBIC system, Interpol, and AFRIPOL databases.
6. Pre-arrival risk assessment —borrowing from Singapore’s model—using open-source data pools and artificial intelligence to identify high-risk individuals before they reach our borders.

This is not science fiction. It is existing technology, deployed at scale in a nation smaller than Zambia. We need political will, not technological miracles.

PART IV: INTERNAL SECURITY & INTELLIGENCE—A COMMUNITY THAT PROTECTS ITSELF

A nation that relies solely on formal security agencies for its safety has already lost half the battle. Zambia’s vast territory and limited police-to-population ratio demand a whole-of-society approach to security and intelligence gathering.

A. The Rwanda Model: Community Policing as National Security Architecture

Rwanda’s transformation from genocide to one of “Africa’s safest and most secure nations” is “not just a product of good policing” but “the result of 25 years of deep partnership between police and citizens”.

The Rwanda Youth Volunteers in Community Policing (RYVCP) now has over 1 million members —”students, professionals, and future leaders” participating in awareness campaigns, crime detection, and educational outreach. Community Policing Committees (CPCs) have “contributed to intelligence-led policing, facilitated targeted operations, and improved emergency response—leading to a notable reduction in crime rates”.

The Rwanda National Police was ranked 1st in Africa and 21st globally on citizens’ trust and reliability of police services according to the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report.

Zambia must make community policing not an add-on but the foundation of national security.

B. The Zambia Solution: Establishing Community Policing Committees (CPCs) in Every District

We propose:

1. Mandatory CPCs in every district —comprising youth, women, traditional leaders, religious leaders, teachers, retired security personnel, and business representatives.
2. Intelligence training for all CPC members —basic surveillance detection, reporting protocols, and encrypted communication via mobile applications.
3. Monthly reporting to District Security Committees —ensuring that grassroots intelligence reaches decision-makers in real time.
4. Protection for whistleblowers and informants —legal guarantees and witness protection for citizens who report security threats.

C. Retired Military, Paramilitary, and NGO Volunteers: A National Asset Currently Wasted

Zambia has thousands of retired military officers, police officers, and paramilitary personnel (NSCDC, Immigration Service, Correctional Service) whose experience, training, and instincts are currently languishing unused. This is a national security waste of staggering proportions.

We propose the establishment of a National Security Volunteer Corps (NSVC) that formally integrates:

• Retired military officers and soldiers as intelligence nodes, trainers, and community mentors.
• Former paramilitary operatives as border monitoring assistants and community patrol coordinators.
• Vetted members of local and international NGOs as data collectors, conflict mediators, and human rights monitors.
• Non-governmental organizations —both Zambian and international—with expertise in conflict monitoring, data collection, and community mediation.

These volunteers shall serve as the eyes and ears of the state in communities where formal security presence is thin, while being strictly bound by a code of conduct and human rights standards. Their integration leverages existing skill sets at minimal cost and provides dignified, meaningful roles for those who have served the nation.

D. Satellite Intelligence: Eyes in the Sky for a Nation on the Ground

Zambia is not starting from zero. The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) in Zambia already conducts “satellite imagery analysis, soil and land suitability mapping, precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, and real-time surveillance”. The Zambia Army Commander has publicly commended the NRSC’s role in national security, noting that its services “directly contribute to improved agricultural productivity, natural resource management, and national resilience”.

The Army Commander specifically highlighted that strengthening collaboration with NRSC “will enhance our ability to monitor illegal mining” and other cross-border threats. This capability must now be deployed for border security.

Zambia is also collaborating with Angola to learn from its Earth Observation Satellite system and explore how it can contribute to enhancing Zambia’s Ground Receiving Satellite Station.

We propose:

1. Dedicated satellite surveillance of all border zones —using NRSC and partner satellite data to detect abnormal movements, unauthorized encampments, and crossing patterns.
2. Integration of satellite data with community reporting through a mobile application—“SentinelsNet” —that allows CPC members to upload geo-tagged observations and receive satellite-derived alerts.
3. Training of local community leaders in basic satellite imagery interpretation —in partnership with NASRDA, the University of Zambia, and international satellite intelligence providers (Planet Labs, Maxar).

PART V: RELIGIOUS COMPLIANCE—THE LINE THAT MUST NOT BE CROSSED

Zambia is a declared Christian nation. That identity is enshrined in our Constitution. It is a source of unity, not division. But it must also be a source of law.

A. The Current Framework

Religious groups in Zambia must register with the Registrar of Societies in the Ministry of Home Affairs, pay regular statutory fees, have a unique name, and possess a constitution consistent with the country’s laws. The Constitution protects religious freedom, and no laws in the country curtail it.

This framework has served us well. But it has not been tested by the kinds of challenges that have destabilized other nations—challenges that will arrive at our borders if they have not already.

B. The European Lesson: When Religious Accommodation Becomes Cultural Submission

We have seen—in Europe, in parts of the Middle East, and elsewhere—what happens when a host nation’s religious tolerance is exploited by those who have no intention of reciprocating. When newcomers demand that the host nation accommodate practices fundamentally at odds with its founding values. When separate legal systems—religious courts, customary tribunals—begin to operate in parallel to state law.

This will not happen in Zambia. Not on our watch.

C. The Zambia Solution: Uncompromising Religious Compliance

We call upon the government to establish a National Religious Compliance Commission (NRCC) with the following mandate:

1. Mandatory registration and regular re-certification of all religious organizations —with rigorous vetting of leadership, funding sources, and doctrinal positions.
2. A public, searchable database of all registered religious organizations —accessible to any Zambian citizen.
3. Mandatory cultural integration curricula for all foreign religious workers —ensuring they understand and commit to Zambian laws, customs, and values before being permitted to operate.
4. Zero tolerance for any religious practice that violates Zambian criminal law —including but not limited to forced conversion, child marriage, female genital mutilation, or incitement to violence.
5. Immediate revocation of registration and deportation for any foreign religious leader found to be undermining national unity or inciting division.
6. Annual compliance reports to Parliament —ensuring that religious freedom is protected but never abused.

As the Minister of Home Affairs has stated, “under Zambian law, investigations are guided by conduct and evidence, not by religious status or office, adding that no individual is above the law”. This principle must be applied universally, consistently, and without fear or favor.

PART VI: IMMIGRATION—THE VETTING REVOLUTION

The single most important lesson from Europe’s experience is this: the vetting processes that determine who enters, who stays, and who becomes a citizen must be rigorous to the point of being unbreachable.

A. What Has Failed Elsewhere

Countries granted entry based on imperfect information. They granted status based on incomplete background checks. They granted citizenship based on time served rather than values demonstrated. The result was a population of individuals who held the legal status of citizens but had no cultural or emotional investment in the nation they had joined.

B. What Must Succeed Here

Zambia must institute a Total Vetting Framework (TVF) that governs every stage of the immigration lifecycle:

Stage 1: Pre-Entry Vetting

• Biometric data collection (fingerprints, facial recognition, iris scans) for all visa applicants.
• Cross-referencing against Interpol, AFRIPOL, and partner-nation databases.
• Social media and open-source intelligence screening—automated through AI—for indicators of extremist ideology, criminal associations, or fraudulent identity.
• Financial background checks to verify declared assets and identify potential money-laundering risks.

Stage 2: Entry Verification

• Biometric confirmation at the port of entry—no person enters Zambia without leaving a biometric record.
• Automated flagging of any mismatch between visa application data and biometric data presented at the border.
• Immediate detention and investigation of any individual flagged as high-risk.

Stage 3: Residency Monitoring

• All foreign residents must report to immigration authorities at regular intervals.
• Continuous monitoring of legal compliance—no foreign resident should be able to commit crimes without immediate immigration consequences.
• Mandatory cultural integration assessments for all long-term residents.

Stage 4: Citizenship Approval

• No citizenship application shall be approved without:
  • Demonstrated fluency in at least one Zambian language.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of Zambian history, culture, and constitutional values.
  • A clean criminal record verified across all databases.
  • Evidence of economic self-sufficiency or demonstrable contribution to national development.
  • A sworn oath of allegiance to the Republic of Zambia—not merely in words but in demonstrated conduct.

This is not xenophobia. This is sovereignty. Every nation has the right—and the duty—to decide who joins its national family. Zambia must exercise that right with seriousness and rigor.

PART VII: AI & TECHNOLOGY—THE FORCE MULTIPLIER ZAMBIA CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE

Artificial intelligence is not a luxury reserved for wealthy nations. It is a force multiplier that enables countries with limited human resources to achieve security outcomes previously possible only for superpowers.

A. What AI Can Do for Border Security

AI systems can now:

• Analyze over 3,000 open-source data pools to deliver highly accurate risk assessments within a single second.
• Use natural language processing to “read between the lines” of immigration applications, flagging inconsistencies and detecting fraud with greater accuracy than human reviewers.
• Conduct AI interviews at border checkpoints —using multimodal analysis to verify traveler identity and intent in real time, reducing manual checks.
• Perform “semi-active” monitoring of immigrants entering a country either legally or otherwise, providing authorities with real-time risk indicators that allow them to “triage potential threats to accelerate border screening and reduce backlogs with confidence”.
• Detect anomalous patterns and unusual behaviors through AI-driven systems, enabling timely responses and preventative measures.

B. What This Means for Zambia

Zambia does not need to develop these technologies from scratch. We need to procure, adapt, and deploy them. The global market for border security AI is mature and competitive. Solutions exist that can be customized for Zambia’s specific needs at a fraction of the cost of developing them domestically.

We propose:

1. An AI Border Security Procurement Task Force within the Ministry of Home Affairs, with a 90-day mandate to identify, evaluate, and recommend AI solutions for Zambia’s border security needs.
2. Pilot deployment of AI vetting at one major border post —to be selected jointly by the Zambia Immigration Service and the Ministry of Home Affairs—within six months.
3. Integration of AI screening with the proposed NIBIS —so that all border data flows through a single, intelligent platform.
4. Annual technology audits by an independent body to ensure that AI systems are performing as intended, are free from bias, and respect human rights.

C. The Affordability Question

To those who will say Zambia cannot afford these technologies, we respond: Zambia cannot afford not to. The cost of a single security breach—a terrorist attack, a major trafficking network operating with impunity, a foreign extremist group establishing a foothold—dwarfs the cost of prevention. And the international community, through mechanisms like the African Union, SADC, and development partners, stands ready to support nations that demonstrate serious commitment to security modernization.

PART VIII: EVOLVING LEGAL FRAMEWORKS—LAWS THAT ANTICIPATE, NOT JUST REACT

A. Immigration and Border Laws: A Holistic Overhaul

We have already proposed the National Integrated Border and Immigration System (NIBIS) as the technological backbone. But technology is only as strong as the laws that govern it. We recommend the following legislative reforms:

1. The Immigration and Border Security Act (IBSA) —a comprehensive statute that replaces the current patchwork of immigration laws and provides clear legal authority for:
   • Biometric data collection at all points of entry.
   • Pre-arrival risk assessment.
   • Automated overstay detection and enforcement.
   • Mandatory cultural integration requirements for long-term residents.
   • Expedited deportation of foreign nationals convicted of crimes in Zambia.
2. The National Security Volunteer Corps Act —establishing the legal framework for integrating retired military, paramilitary, and NGO volunteers into the national security architecture.
3. The Religious Compliance Act —codifying the mandate of the proposed NRCC and providing clear enforcement mechanisms.

B. Internal Security Laws: Reforms Already Underway

The Zambian government has already demonstrated its commitment to legal reform. The Public Order Act (Chapter 113 of the Laws of Zambia) is being reviewed, with a proposed Public Gatherings Bill that will “facilitate the enjoyment of the fundamental freedom of assembly and association”.

The Zambia Law Development Commission (ZLDC) has completed its review and handed over the proposed bill to the Ministry of Justice for onward presentation to Parliament.

We support this reform process and urge its completion before the 2026 elections. A nation that restricts peaceful assembly breeds resentment; a nation that protects it builds resilience.

PART IX: DATA TRANSPARENCY—BECAUSE SECRECY BREEDS SUSPICION

A nation that collects data but refuses to share it with its citizens is not a democracy; it is a surveillance state. Zambia must chart a different course—one where security and transparency are not opposites but partners.

We propose:

1. Quarterly Security Transparency Reports —published by the Ministry of Home Affairs, providing disaggregated data on:
   • Illegal border crossings detected and interdicted.
   • Foreign nationals detained and deported.
   • Asylum applications received, approved, and denied.
   • Citizenship applications processed and outcomes.
   • Religious organizations registered and deregistered.
   • Crimes committed by non-citizens and immigration consequences applied.
2. A Public Immigration Dashboard —accessible online, updated weekly, showing real-time data on migration flows, visa issuances, and enforcement actions.
3. Annual Independent Security Audit —conducted by a consortium of Zambian civil society organizations and international partners, with findings presented to Parliament and published in full.

PART X: DIPLOMATIC INTELLIGENCE—KNOWING THE ENEMY BEFORE HE ARRIVES

Zambia’s diplomatic missions abroad are an underutilized intelligence asset. Every embassy and high commission should be a node in the national security architecture.

We propose:

1. Mandatory security reporting from all diplomatic missions —monthly threat assessments covering:
   • Political developments in host countries that may affect Zambia.
   • Migration trends and their implications for Zambian border security.
   • Criminal networks with cross-border reach.
   • Extremist groups and their recruitment patterns.
2. Diaspora intelligence integration —Zambia’s diaspora community, estimated at over 500,000 people, should be formally integrated into the national security conversation. Through the ZDCC and other diaspora organizations, Zambians abroad can provide early warning of developments that may affect the homeland.
3. Joint intelligence-sharing agreements with all SADC neighbors and key international partners.

PART XI: THE 25-POINT ACTION PLAN

S/N	Action	Responsible Ministry/Agency	Timeline
1	Establish National Integrated Border and Immigration System (NIBIS)	Home Affairs / Immigration	12 months
2	Deploy multi-modal biometrics at all major points of entry	Home Affairs / Immigration	18 months
3	Implement AI-powered pre-arrival risk assessment	Home Affairs / Immigration	9 months
4	Establish Community Policing Committees (CPCs) in all 116 districts	Home Affairs / Police	12 months
5	Form National Security Volunteer Corps (NSVC)	Home Affairs / Defense	6 months
6	Integrate retired military/paramilitary into border monitoring	Home Affairs / Defense	6 months
7	Integrate NGO volunteers into intelligence gathering network	Home Affairs	3 months
8	Deploy satellite surveillance of all border zones via NRSC	Defense / NRSC	12 months
9	Develop “SentinelsNet” mobile application for community reporting	Home Affairs / NITDA	9 months
10	Establish National Religious Compliance Commission (NRCC)	Home Affairs / Justice	6 months
11	Create public database of registered religious organizations	Home Affairs	6 months
12	Mandate cultural integration curricula for foreign religious workers	Home Affairs / Education	6 months
13	Pass Immigration and Border Security Act (IBSA)	Justice / Parliament	12 months
14	Pass Religious Compliance Act	Justice / Parliament	12 months
15	Pass NSVC Act	Justice / Parliament	12 months
16	Complete Public Order Act reform and pass Public Gatherings Bill	Justice / Parliament	6 months
17	Publish first Quarterly Security Transparency Report	Home Affairs	3 months
18	Launch Public Immigration Dashboard	Home Affairs / Immigration	6 months
19	Institute mandatory security reporting from all diplomatic missions	Foreign Affairs	3 months
20	Formalize diaspora intelligence integration via ZDCC	Foreign Affairs / Home Affairs	6 months
21	Establish Joint Intelligence Fusion Cell with SADC neighbors	Foreign Affairs / Defense	12 months
22	Procure and deploy AI border screening technology at one pilot post	Home Affairs / Immigration	6 months
23	Institute annual independent security audit	Home Affairs / CSOs	12 months
24	Launch “Know Your Terms” public education campaign on immigration rights	Home Affairs / Information	3 months
25	Establish Zambia Border Security Academy for continuous training	Home Affairs / Defense	18 months

PART XII: CONCLUSION—A NATION THAT CHOOSES TO SEE

The nations that have fallen into chaos did not do so overnight. They fell gradually—one unvetted immigrant at a time, one unenforced law at a time, one dismissed warning at a time—until the cumulative weight of small failures became a crisis that no government could manage.

Zambia has the extraordinary advantage of seeing the storm while the sky is still clear. The European crisis is not hidden. The Singaporean solution is not secret. The Rwandan model is not patented. The technology exists. The diaspora stands ready. The only question is whether the political will exists.

We, the Zambia Diaspora Chamber of Commerce, believe that it does. We believe that President Hichilema’s vision of “a rules-based world” as “a prerequisite for peace, security and stability” is not merely rhetoric but a genuine commitment to governance that protects its people.

We believe that the Zambian people—hospitable, peaceful, and proud—deserve a government that will protect their peace with every tool at its disposal.

And we believe that the time to act is now.

Zambia’s sovereignty and liberality must never be taken for granted. They are the product of generations of wise leadership and a citizenry committed to peace. They must be defended with wisdom, with technology, with uncompromising enforcement, and with the full participation of every Zambian—at home and abroad.

This is our proposal. This is our pledge. This is our prayer for the nation we love.

“Zambia First. Zambia Always. Zambia Forever.”

This document is submitted by Freud Musanu, President of the Zambia Diaspora Chamber of Commerce (ZDCC), to the Government of the Republic of Zambia, and is intended for public dissemination, parliamentary consideration, and international partnership development.

© 2026 Zambia Diaspora Chamber of Commerce (ZDCC). All rights reserved.

SOURCES, REFERENCES & EVIDENTIAL LINKS

1. Africa Press / President Hakainde Hichilema’s Four Years of Leadership – Zambia remains one of Africa’s most peaceful nations – Read more 
2. WANEP / Zambia’s National Peace Infrastructure – Aligning with AU Continental Framework on NPIs – Read more 
3. ZANIS / President Hichilema Urges Political Players to Promote Peace – $12 billion mining investment attracted by stability – Read more 
4. LegalBrief / Drought Impacts on Illegal Border Crossings – Zambezi River receding water levels enabling illegal crossings – Read more 
5. SADC / Kasumbalesa Border Post Challenges – Infrastructure, congestion, and surveillance gaps – Read more 
6. Malawi Broadcasting Corporation / Malawi-Zambia Security Agreement – Transnational threats including human trafficking and cyber-crime – Read more 
7. Zambia Immigration / Zambia-Tanzania Migration Challenges – Jointly addressing irregular migration and human trafficking – Read more 
8. DW / Zambia Beefs Up Borders – Plans to employ border guards for the first time – Read more 
9. Rwanda National Police / 25-Year Journey of Community Policing – Partnership between police and citizens – Read more 
10. RNA News / Rwanda Youth Volunteers in Community Policing – Over 1 million members nationwide – Read more 
11. MININTER Rwanda / Community Policing Committee Training – Intelligence-led policing and crime reduction – Read more 
12. Singapore ICA / Multi-Modal Biometrics System (MMBS) – Iris, facial, and fingerprint capture at checkpoints – Read more 
13. Scala / Singapore Automated Immigration Management System (AIMS) – Biometric enrollment and verification – Read more 
14. eu-LISA / 30 Years of Schengen Information System (SIS) – Largest information-sharing platform for border security in Europe – Read more 
15. Brussels Times / Schengen Database Aids Arrests, Rescues – Gaps persist in tracking fugitives – Read more 
16. Yale Review / Anti-Immigrant Rallies and Europe’s Identity Crisis – Tension between equality and identity loss – Read more 
17. Hindustan Times / Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Intensifies Across Europe – “We want our country back” becoming mainstream – Read more 
18. European Conservative / Europe Turns Right on Immigration – Member states rewriting rules – Read more 
19. Verfassungsblog / Danish ‘Ghetto Law’ Violates EU Law – Legal othering by the Danish state – Read more 
20. ACIA Africa / Zambia Catholic Bishops Conference Decries State-Sponsored Persecution – Summons by DEC – Read more 
21. GhanaWeb / Zambia’s Witchcraft Conviction Raises Debate – Colonial-era laws in modern democracy – Read more 
22. ZNBC / Call for Calm as DEC Questions Lusaka Archbishop – No individual above the law – Read more 
23. Pangea / AI Passenger Vetting System for Border Control – Analyzes 3,000+ open-source data pools in one second – Read more 
24. Clearspeed / Border Security Risk Assessment – AI triage for potential threats – Read more 
25. PolygrAI / AI Interviewer Technology for Border Security – Uniting AI interviews with border workflows – Read more 
26. Forbes / How AI Can Decode Hidden Stories in Immigration Applications – Natural language processing for fraud detection – Read more 
27. NRSC Zambia / Army Commander Commends NRSC Role in National Security – Satellite imagery analysis for surveillance – Read more 
28. Efficacy News Africa / Zambia-Angola Satellite Technology Collaboration – Learning from Angola’s Earth Observation Satellite – Read more 
29. Zambia Monitor / Cashless Payments and Surveillance at Key Border Posts – Enhanced surveillance technology – Read more 
30. ZLDC / Review of the Public Order Act – Proposed Public Gatherings Bill – Read more 
31. Lusaka Times / ZLDC Hands Over Proposed Public Gatherings Bill – Repealing and replacing the Public Order Act – Read more 
32. Civicus Monitor / New Legislative Measures Seek to Expand Civic Freedoms – Public Gathering Bill presented to Parliament – Read more 
33. DCAF / Zambia Security Sector Governance – Revision of the Public Order Act – Read more 
34. RealEye / Fortress AI Border Security Platform – AI-powered anomaly detection and real-time monitoring – Read more 
35. Zambia Army Facebook / NRSC Vital for National Security Monitoring – Detection of illegalities threatening national security – Read more