|
Mugabe heads to NY
22/09/2007 13:38 - (SA)
Harare - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has left Harare for Cairo, Egypt, on his way to New York to attend the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly, a state-run daily reported Saturday.
"The President who was accompanied by the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe and senior government officials is expected to join about 80 other world leaders and several foreign ministers at the UN headquarters," the Herald newspaper said.
Mugabe's departures are never announced in advance.
The annual UN session opens Tuesday and runs until October 3. Topics to be discussed include climate change, development and counter-terrorism strategies.
The United States and European Union imposed a travel ban on Mugabe following presidential elections in 2002 which the opposition said were rigged to hand the veteran ruler victory. He is allowed to attend UN meetings.
His departure for the UN meeting came amid controversy over his attendance at an EU-African summit later this year, with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown vowing to boycott the meeting if Mugabe is there.
Brown said Mugabe's attendance would draw attention away from the main issues at the summit. He also urged the EU to impose further measures including targetting families of Zimbabwe's ruling elite with additional sanctions.
Mugabe blames sanctions for Zimbabwe's economic crisis, characterised by world-record inflation at 6 600%, shortages of basic food supplies such as bread and at least 80% unemployment.
- AFP
|
News
Zimbabwe Special Report
