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Anger over Mugabe speech in Rome
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is to address the United Nations Food and Agriculture Association in Rome. The move has angered other governments. Zimbabwe is already struggling to feed an estimated 3.8m starving people in the rural areas, and has to import at least 37,000 tons of maize a week. The US ambassador to the FAO said he was amazed Mr Mugabe had been invited as he used food as a political weapon. Mr Mugabe is to address an international gathering as part of celebrations marking the FAO's 60th anniversary on Monday. The US ambassador to the FAO, Tony Hall, said he was amazed the organisation had invited a leader "who has done so much to hurt his own people." "Food has been used as a weapon against his own people," Mr Hall said. Mr Mugabe, who is exempt from an EU travel ban when on UN business, is due address an international gathering at the FAO headquarters later on Monday. Italian senator Sergio Agroni said Rome was welcoming "one of the most terrible dictators and destroyers on the African continent". "Robert Mugabe is coming to talk about food while his fellow citizens are dying in the streets because of lack of food and human rights," said Mr Agroni, who is a member of the Italian parliament's agriculture commission. Posted by: Steve 2005-10-17 |
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