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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Zimbabwe to block western efforts at UNSC |
| 2008-12-16 |
| President Robert Mugabe's government on Monday vowed to thwart western efforts to put Zimbabwe on the UN Security Council agenda, saying it was not a threat to international security. The United States and Britain were expected to lobby the council to turn up the heat on Mugabe, amid mounting international pressure for him to step aside as his country caves in under an economic meltdown and cholera crisis. Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu told the state-owned Herald newspaper it was "improper" for western countries to try and put Zimbabwe on the agenda. "You do not convene a UN Security Council meeting for a sovereign state without consulting that country," he was quoted as saying. "We are not a threat. If they insist, we will work hard to block it with the assistance of our friends." The 15-member Security Council was due Monday to hold a closed-door meeting, and Washington said last week it would pressure members to act against the veteran leader, whom it blames directly for Zimbabwe's woes. US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington was talking to Zimbabwe's neighbour South Africa and other security council members about how to "start a process that will bring an end to the tragedy that is unfolding in Zimbabwe." Several world leaders have called on Mugabe to leave office, including US President George W Bush, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The security body has failed to act against Mugabe in the past amid splits between the western nations and Russia and China. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington was talking to Zimbabwe's neighbour South Africa and other security council members about how to "start a process that will bring an end to the tragedy that is unfolding in Zimbabwe." US State Dept. busy seeking African solutions once again but without Great Britain this go around. Oh well, as a fitting tribute to the nearly 30 years of death and depotic chaos created by the first, let's call this fantastic new "process" Lancaster House Accord-II shall we? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-12-16 09:17 |