Mbeki protects Mugabe - US
2008-07-12 07:58
Special Report
A classical music presenter for the BBC has been arrested and is in custody in Zimbabwe.
New York - The United States on Friday launched a scathing attack on South African President Thabo Mbeki after Pretoria's UN envoy voted against targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.
US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad spoke after China and Russia vetoed a US draft resolution in the UN Security Council that would have imposed a travel ban and an assets freeze on Mugabe and 13 of his cronies as well an arms embargo on the Harare regime.
South Africa, along with Libya and Vietnam, voted against the US draft which received the support of nine of the council's 15 members.
"We are surprised by what appears as Mbeki appearing to protect Mugabe while Mugabe uses violent means to fragment the opposition," Khalilzad said. "I think he (Mbeki) is out of touch with the trends inside his own country."
"We are concerned, but we are encouraged by the trends that we see inside South Africa," he added.
China said on Saturday that sanctions against Zimbabwe's government would "complicate", rather than ease, conflict in the troubled African country,
defending its decision to veto the resolution.
China's decision to block the sanctions may bruise
relations with Western powers weeks before Beijing hosts the
Olympic Games. China also faces international pressure over
Sudan, where international prosecutors are pursuing arrests for
alleged war crimes in Darfur.
Right for Zimbabwe
The Chinese Foreign Ministry's chief spokesperson Liu Jianchao
was quick to defend the veto as right for Zimbabwe.
"Under present conditions, passing a sanctions resolution
against Zimbabwe would not help to encourage the various
factions there to engage in political dialogue and negotiations
and achieve results," Liu said in a statement on the Ministry's
website.
"On the contrary, it would further complicate conditions in
Zimbabwe," Liu said, adding that China's call that the African
Union (AU) be given more time for mediation was ignored.
Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader
Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from a June 27 presidential run-off
poll, citing attacks on his supporters by pro-Mugabe militia.
The MDC and Western powers branded Mugabe's landslide
re-election a sham.
In Zimbabwe, the opposition on Friday accused government
security forces of murdering a polling agent in fresh political
violence that could undermine talks in South Africa.
"The international community should provide constructive
help" for South Africa's and the AU's mediation efforts, Liu
said. "Avoid adopting actions that could have a negative effect
on the atmosphere for dialogue." - Reuters/AFP
- News24