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US tries to halt arms shipment
22/04/2008 09:03 - (SA)
Washington - The Bush administration is intervening with governments in southern Africa to prevent a Chinese ship carrying weapons for Zimbabwe's security forces from unloading its cargo, said reports.
At the same time, the State Department's top Africa hand, Jendayi Frazer, planned to visit the region this week to underscore United States concerns about the shipment.
Frazer also would try to persuade Zimbabwe's neighbours to step up pressure on President Robert Mugabe's government to publish results from a disputed election that the opposition claimed to have won, administration officials said on Monday.
US intelligence agencies were tracking the vessel, the An Yue Jiang, and American diplomats had been instructed to press authorities in at least four nations - South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia and Angola - not to allow it to dock, the officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss delicate diplomatic talks.
Arms 'could be used by Mugabe's regime '
The ship, which was laden with large amounts of weapons and ammunition, already had been turned away from South Africa and Mozambique, and was now believed to be headed for Angola, possibly with a refuelling stop in Namibia.
The freighter left South Africa after a judge on Friday barred the arms from transiting South Africa and it was not immediately clear if US lobbying had influenced authorities in Mozambique who stopped it from docking over the weekend.
Two officials said Washington's effort to block the ship from unloading its cargo was now concentrated on Namibia and Angola and that both countries were being told that allowing the An Yue Jiang to dock could harm their relations with the United States.
There were fears that the arms, which included mortar grenades and bullets, could be used by Mugabe's regime to expand a clampdown on opposition supporters.
Brutal acts
The government had refused to publish the results of presidential elections held three weeks ago, and there were reports of increasing violence against the opposition. In Beijing, China's ministry of foreign affairs had no immediate comment.
South Africa's main trade union confederation had called on workers in other African countries to follow the example of South African dock and freight workers who said on Friday they would not unload the ship or transport its cargo.
The State Department endorsed that position on Monday.
"Given Zimbabwe's current electoral crisis, we do share the concerns ... that these arms could be used against individuals who are merely trying to freely express their political will," said Kurtis Cooper, a department spokesperson.
"We call on the Zimbabwe government to immediately cease the perpetration of brutal acts against its citizens and strongly urge the regional leadership to enhance its intervention for an expeditious solution to the post-election crisis," Cooper said.
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