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Zimbabwe: African States Reject U.S. Sanctions Call
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
8 July 2008
Posted to the web 8 July 2008
Harare
AFRICAN leaders attending the Group of Eight Summit in Japan yesterday vehemently resisted Western-led pressure to support an American draft resolution to have the United Nations slap Zimbabwe with sanctions, as British Foreign Secretary David Miliband stage-managed a visit to the so-called refugee camps in South Africa to ratchet up anti-Zimbabwe pressure.
The seven-country-strong African contingent, led by African Union chairman President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, yesterday snubbed the coercive tactics of the United States and instead emphasised the need for dialogue. Leaders from Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa joined Tanzania in telling the G8 that sanctions would not help Zimbabwe in any way.
The G8 is a grouping of the world's most industrialised nations. President Kikwete was quoted by online publications as saying while he recognised America's concerns over Zimbabwe's recent presidential run-off, he did not subscribe to the notion that sanctions were helpful. "The only area we may disagree on is the way forward," he said after a meeting with US President George W. Bush. It is believed that South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki took the lead in condemning sanctions as a solution to Zimbabwe's challenges. America admitted it failed to get support from the African countries.
At a Press briefing, US Deputy National Security Advisor Dan Price told the American media in Washington that Bush had failed to convince Africa that sanctions were the right way forward. "There were differences. Not all leaders are there yet. Not all leaders are in a position to support sanctions at this time," Price said. Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kazuo Kodama was also quoted as saying: "African leaders didn't ask the G8 to do anything specific."
He said the African heads of state had indicated that "sanctions may lead to internal conflict in Zimbabwe". Indications yesterday were that the G8 itself was not united in the call for sanctions with Japan not interested in such a route and Russia -- which can veto any sanctions proposal at the UN Security Council -- also not supportive of the idea.
Last week, Zimbabwe's Ambassador to the United Nations said most Security Council members were waiting for the AU to give them a cue on how to engage Zimbabwe. The recent AU Summit in Egypt resolved that dialogue, as called for by President Mugabe, was the best way forward.
Yesterday, the Government slammed British Foreign Secretary Miliband for visiting the so-called Zimbabwean refugee camps in South Africa, saying the move was calculated to coincide with the G8 summit that opened in Japan yesterday. Miliband, said the Government, was stage-managing events to ratchet up anti-Zimbabwe sentiments for the G8 summit.
In a statement yesterday, Zimbabwe's Ambassador to South Africa, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, warned Miliband "to stop his mischief". "Yesterday's (Sunday) so-called visit to Zimbabwean refugee camps in South Africa by British Foreign Secretary Mr David Miliband is a malignant political lie tailored to coincide with the opening of the G8 Summit in Japan today," Cde Khaya Moyo said.
He said there are no refugee camps in South Africa but centres for foreign nationals displaced during xenophobic attacks that rocked that country recently. "Mr Miliband must stop his mischief and attend to numerous problems affecting his disintegrating Labour Party in the United Kingdom," he said. Cde Khaya Moyo reminded Miliband that Zimbabwe was no longer a British colony.
"He has no business to come to South Africa and lecture on Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe long ceased to be a British colony and shall never be again." Cde Khaya Moyo said Britain should allow South African President Thabo Mbeki to execute his mediation in Zimbabwe as mandated by Sadc and recently by the AU without interference.
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According to reports from South Africa, Miliband arrived in that country on Sunday and visited about 2 000 so-called refugees. He was quoted as saying it was imperative for a political solution to be found in Zimbabwe. Miliband urged the international community to support the US-proposed sanctions against the country at a UN Security Council meeting to be held in New York. He pledged his country's support to isolating President Mugabe and his Government.
What is Thabo Mbeki getting from keeping Mugabe in power. It must be something.....
There's some theory that they are related in some way...wives etc. Mbeki denied that AIDs is a problem on the continent, so his dealings in Zimbabwe are another act of denial.
Western countries want Mugabe ousted from power for two reasons. First, Mugabe sent his military to DR Congo in the 1990's to halt the invasion and occupation of DR Congo by the armies of Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. The invasion was financially and militarily sponsored by the USA and UK with the aim of effecting a regime change in DR Congo so that western countries would exploit (loot) the natural resources of DR Congo at will. Up until the time of the invasion, Zimbabwe had been buying its jet fighters from England, with an agreement that the sellers of those... [Read Full Text]
Western countries want Mugabe ousted from power for two reasons. First, Mugabe sent his military to DR Congo in the 1990's to halt the invasion and occupation of DR Congo by the armies of Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. The invasion was financially and militarily sponsored by the USA and UK with the aim of effecting a regime change in DR Congo so that western countries would exploit (loot) the natural resources of DR Congo at will. Up until the time of the invasion, Zimbabwe had been buying its jet fighters from England, with an agreement that the sellers of those... [Read Full Text]
Sanctions only hurt the poor and needy, Mugabe would not feel them, and the people are not ready to fight sanctions would not work.
Western countries want Mugabe ousted from power for two reasons. First, Mugabe sent his military to DR Congo in the 1990's to halt the invasion and occupation of DR Congo by the armies of Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. The invasion was financially and militarily sponsored by the USA and UK with the aim of effecting a regime change in DR Congo so that western countries would exploit (loot) the natural resources of DR Congo at will. Up until the time of the invasion, Zimbabwe had been buying its jet fighters from England, with an agreement that the sellers of those... [Read Full Text]
At this point in time, any impartial readers or analysts of the ongoing furor of Western countries, with UK and USA in lead, against president Robert Mugabe must certainly have already asked themselves the following questions: First, what is so important about whether or not Zimbabwe's elections were fair that justifies this immeasurable amount of furor from western countries against president Mugabe? Second, let’s assume that president Mugabe stole the elections just like numerous other leaders did in some other countries. Have UK and USA ever previously displayed such amounts of furor against those other countries’... [Read Full Text]
I am sure that have a theory as to why the West is reacting to Mugabe in the way that it is. Why don't you enlighten us?
PS. It appears that you have be a little out of date in your comments about Russia et al.
Russia has now agreed to sanctions on mugabe and regime, more to follow!
Katz, you question as to why the West is reacting to Mugabe as they are is interesting. In my opinion is confronts something about the role of UK and the anglo white community refuses to accept...that is, the British have decided to isolate Zimbabwe because of land issues, which they consider illegal and African reaction to that is that UK is playing the clever racial card. In short.. Zimbabwe has white anglo Britons, therefore they are worthy for fighting for, than people dying in Darfur and DRC (Total of 6 million black people dead)
Clearly, UK gov't campaigns against Zimbabwe... [Read Full Text]
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