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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Zim hails sanctions failure |
| 2008-07-13 |
| Zimbabwe has hailed the failure of a UN Security Council resolution to impose new sanctions on the country's leaders. Russia and China vetoed the resolution, saying the situation in Zimbabwe posed no threat to international security. The UK said it was incomprehensible, while the US said the veto brought into question Russia's reliability as a G8 partner. But South Africa said sanctions would interfere with attempts to form a national unity government. The measures proposed in the draft UN resolution had included an arms embargo and a travel ban for President Robert Mugabe and 13 of his key allies. There has been growing international criticism of Zimbabwe since the re-election of President Robert Mugabe in a run-off boycotted by the opposition. The opposition's Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change party say they had faced a campaign of violence by Mugabe supporters, which left dozens dead and thousands injured and forced from their homes. Zimbabwe's Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu described the resolution as an attempt to make the people of Zimbabwe suffer so they would turn against their government. Britain, he said, "wanted to divert attention by bringing unfounded allegations against Zimbabwe, against the people of Zimbabwe, trying to make the people of Zimbabwe suffer more with the economic sanctions... so that they can turn against their own government". Mr Ndlovu thanked Russia and China for upholding, as he put it, the United Nations principle of non-interference with member states. "We... would like to thank those who helped defeat international racism disguised as multilateral action at the UN." The resolution had the support of nine council members, the minimum required to pass in the 15-member council. But the veto of any of the five permanent members - which include Russia and China - is enough to defeat a resolution. |
| Posted by:Fred |