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Zim bristles at arms criticism
22/04/2008 18:17 - (SA)
Harare - Zimbabwe bristled at criticism for buying arms from China on Tuesday, as pressure mounted on its neighbours to keep a load of weapons from reaching their destination.
China said a Chinese ship carrying the shipment might return home without offloading its cargo. The ship arrived in South Africa last week carrying Chinese weapons for landlocked Zimbabwe.
South African human rights, union and others groups objected, saying the weapons should not be allowed to cross their country to reach Zimbabwe for fear the mortar grenades and bullets could be used by President Robert Mugabe's regime to clamp down on its opposition.
One South African group persuaded a judge to bar the weapons from transiting through the country.
International arms embargo
The ship sailed from South Africa, and private groups and government officials in Mozambique, Angola and Namibia also objected to the weapons, though Namibia said the ship could refuel there if necessary.
In China, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu insisted that the shipment was part of "normal military product trade between the two countries", but added: "As far as I know, the carrier is now considering carrying back the cargo."
There was no international arms embargo against Zimbabwe.
China was one of Zimbabwe's main trade partners and allies, but its relationship with President Robert Mugabe was often pointed to as an example of its willingness to deal with authoritarian regimes in order to secure commodities and markets in Africa.
Although China's global weapons exports were considered tiny in dollar terms, especially compared to the United States, Beijing was a principle exporter of cheap, simple small arms blamed for fuelling violence in Sudan and other parts of Africa.
Ship might return back to China
In Zimbabwe, the government had refused to publish the results of presidential elections held more than three weeks ago, and the opposition said that was part of a ploy to steal the vote. There were reports of increasing violence against the opposition.
Nelson Chamisa, a spokesperson for opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, said he was awaiting more details on the report that the ship might be returning to China without offloading the weapons, but said: "It would be pleasing to the people of Zimbabwe to note that there has been solidarity on the continent to stop the arming of the (Mugabe) regime at the expense of the people."
Chamisa said instead of importing guns, the country should be importing syringes, Aids medicine and books for children.
Chamisa said: "We should be importing food for the people. We are not at war. If anything we have to have a war against hunger, poverty, a lack of democracy, dictatorship."
But Mugabe's Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga said his country had the right to acquire arms from legitimate sources. "We are not a rebel country," he said.
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