EG praises Zim land seizures
2007-08-31 20:03
Harare - Equatorial Guinea leader Teodoro
Obiang Nguema Mbasogo on Friday hailed President Robert Mugabe's
land seizure drive, saying Zimbabwe's agriculture sector was one
of Africa's most developed.
Mugabe's government has since 2000 embarked on a
controversial seizure of white-owned commercial farms to hand
over to blacks, which analysts say disrupted production and
worsened an economy that relies on agriculture.
The veteran Zimbabwe leader has defended the farm grab as
necessary to address colonial land imbalances that left more
than 70% of the country's most fertile land in the hands
of a few whites.
On Friday Obiang, who arrived in Zimbabwe on Wednesday on a
state visit, said his tiny but oil-rich country stood to benefit
from Harare's agriculture experience.
"The visit has given us the opportunity to learn in order to
ensure that the (agriculture) experience is transferred to the
people of Guinea," said Obiang, who spoke through an interpreter
when officially opening an annual agriculture fair in Harare.
A leader
He said what he had seen demonstrated "Zimbabwe is one of
Africa's leading agriculture-allied industrial nations".
This is in contrast to Zimbabwe's economic crisis, marked by
the world's highest inflation rate of 7 600%, rising
unemployment and shortages of foreign currency, fuel and food
that is partly blamed on the land seizures.
The often violent seizures set Mugabe at odds with Western
donors, but the veteran 83-year-old leader has turned to the
East for help, and has strengthened ties with his African peers,
including Equatorial Guinea which now supplies oil to Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea ties have grown since Harare
authorities in 2004 intercepted 70 mercenaries - including
their leader Simon Mann, a former British special forces soldier - who were accused of planning a coup in Equatorial Guinea.
While all the men served short prison terms in Harare and
were released, Mann - who ended more than two years in jail at
a top security prison - is fighting extradition to Malabo where
he is accused of being the mastermind behind the planned coup.
Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea officials have not commented
on Mann although local media has previously reported that Obiang
wanted to have Mann tried in his country.
Obiang, like Mugabe is accused by the West of widespread
human rights abuses and using heavy-handed tactics against
opponents such as deploying armed police and army units to crush
protests.
But Obiang's visit has mainly focused on strengthening
economic ties with Zimbabwe, which is desperate to end an
eight-year recession that is fuelling political tension.
"What we have experienced is proof that Zimbabwe is able
to export technology (and) hope that in the near future we will
be able to benefit from Zimbabwe's (agriculture) exports," he
said in a short speech.