The British Foreign Office Minister, Tony Lloyd, has called off his trip to Zambia as a protest against the detention of the former president Kenneth Kaunda.

Foreign Office Minister Tony Lloyd had planned to go to Zambia from January 7 to 9 but changed his plans because of the controversy over Mr Kaunda's Christmas Day arrest.

The move comes as Mr Kaunda returned to court to appeal against being kept under house arrest without charge.

In a statement, Mr Lloyd said: "It would be wrong for me to visit so long as Dr Kaunda remains in custody but uncharged and in the absence of a commitment from the Zambian authorities that I will be able to see him.

"It is with regret that I have cancelled my visit to Zambia. My wish is to see Britain and Zambia working together on the basis of shared respect for democratic principles and the rule of law."

Kenneth Kaunda: held in connection with October's coup attempt

Although Mr Kaunda was released from jail on Wednesday after international protest he remains under heavy guard within his house.

The 73-year-old former president was arrested in connection with October's failed attempt to overthrow the government of President Frederick Chiluba.

Mr Lloyd said he would still go to Zimbabwe for two days from January 6, although he has previously criticised the government there for seeking to take farms from their mainly white owners.

The trip is the first by a member of Tony Blair's Government to the southern African nation.

Mr Lloyd will met President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and is "likely" to hold talks with commercial farmers, Foreign Office officials said.

President Mugabe called in October for Britain to meet the cost of compensating farmers who will lose their land under the current plans.

Most of the white landowners are descended from British settlers in Zimbabwe.

But the British Foreign Office rejected the demand for cash on the grounds it would "do nothing to help the poor."
 

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