Robert Mugabe's spokesman told the West yesterday it can 'go hang' over its criticism of the Zimbabwean president's widely discredited reelection which has seen Washington push for UN sanctions. 'They can go and hang a thousand times, they have no basis, they have no claim on Zimbabwe politics at all,' spokesman George Charamba said at the African Union summit in Egypt about Western criticism of Mugabe's violence-marred election.Charamba also appeared to reject a Kenyan-style power-sharing deal. 'I don't know what power-sharing is,' Charamba said.
| There's a true statement ... |
Meanwhile, Botswana called on AU to bar Mugabe from regional meetings as the summit adopted a resolution calling for dialogue between Zimbabwe's political opponents and a government of national unity. Egypt's foreign ministry said Mugabe did not object to the AU resolution.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon pledged to work to broker a solution, repeating his view that the election lacked legitimacy. Zimbabweans should be able to 'enjoy genuine freedom' so they can 'choose their leaders out of their own will without being intimidated,' Ban said.
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga called for Mugabe's suspension from the AU until he allows a free and fair election.
Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma, a member of the West and East African group most critical of Mugabe said: 'The people of Zimbabwe have been denied their democratic rights. We should, in no uncertain terms, condemn what has happened'.
British Junior Foreign Office minister Mark Malloch-Brown said Mugabe must not be part of any power-sharing deal with the opposition if the country is to receive economic aid from Britain.
The European Union will only accept a government headed by Tsvangirai, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country has taken over the EU presidency, said. French foreign ministry said European governments are looking at a raft of sanctions to be imposed on Zimbabwe.