Zimbabwe Update: UN envoy was under pressure, says President

[XXPANTHAXX]

From Itai Musengeyi in Beijing, China
Zimbabwe Herald

United Nations special envoy Mrs Anna Tibaijuka admitted that
she was under pressure to produce a negative report on
Zimbabwe’s clean-up operation, President Mugabe revealed
yesterday as it emerged that China has told Britain not to
dare bring the damning report on the agenda of the UN
Security Council.

"She told me that her hands were tied and that the report was
going to be negative," President Mugabe told guests at the
China Foreign Affairs University where he was conferred with
honorary professorship of the university.

Cde Mugabe said Mrs Tibaijuka told him that certain people
had been planted in her assessment mission to ensure that the
report was damning. Government has dismissed the report as
biased.

The President was speaking on diplomacy and international
relations after accepting the professorship conferred on him
by the university’s Vice President Ambassador An Yongyu.

Cde Mugabe said the biggest challenges facing diplomacy and
international relations was the policy of unilateralism that
some Western powers have adopted and the way they abused
their powers in bodies such as the UN Security Council to
punish weaker nations.

He also spoke on the proposed reform of the UN saying the
veto system should be abolished given the way some Western
countries abused their power to settle scores.

Africa’s position on the UN reform, President Mugabe said,
was that if the veto system is retained, then the continent’s
two representatives in the Security Council should also have
veto power while another six must be permanent members of the
crucial organ of the world body on a regional and rotational
basis.

He said another challenge facing international relations was
the bringing up of issues that had nothing to do with
international affairs at the UN citing the example of
Zimbabwe’s clean-up operation which Britain and its Western
allies are using to demonise Harare and have put it on the
agenda of the Security Council for alleged human rights
violations.

Cde Mugabe said there was an outcry by Britain and its allies
after Government embarked on the clean-up operation to pave
way for a national housing programme.

"Must people remain in squalor and shanties all the time?"

The President said Britain wanted Zimbabwe to be punished for
the clean-up operation but Harare would depend on friendly
countries such as China.

"I know of course China will never allow that nonsense to
happen. China is our great friend," Cde Mugabe said.

"China as a member of the United Nations and the Security
Council with a veto, we appeal to you to act in defence of
innocent people and nations in the Third World. My country at
the moment is being brought to an arena of international
publicity unnecessarily," he added later at a ceremony where
the Government, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and some
parastatals signed deals with leading Chinese companies.

The President said the outcry on the clean-up operation was
being led by some Zimbabwean non-governmental organisations
which survive on mobilising money under the guise of helping
those living in squalor.

"A well briefed woman of (UN) Habitat was sent to investigate
and produced a pre-determined report, which we knew would be
negative."

When Mrs Tibaijuka, who is a member of British Prime Minister
Tony Blair’s Commission on Africa, was appointed special
envoy, the British premier said he hoped she would produce
a "good report" which London could use to put Zimbabwe on the
agenda of the Security Council.

President Mugabe spoke as China, through its Ambassador to
the UN in New York, told Britain not to dare bring the report
to the Security Council.

"The Chinese Ambassador to the UN told the British Ambassador
to the UN not to dare sent the report to the Security
Council. Tanzania was also of the same view. They (China and
Tanzania) said the report was the Secretary General’s (Mr
Kofi Annan) report and he and he alone will know how to use
it," a diplomatic source following the issue told The Herald.

The sources said when Mr Annan got the report, the chair of
the Security Council, Greece, phoned him telling him that he
must put the report on the agenda of the Security Council but
the world body’s chief declined saying it was his report and
he knew how to use it.

The UN Secretary General has since accepted an invitation by
President Mugabe to visit Zimbabwe and see for himself the
situation on the ground.

The latest developments come amid false reports in Zimbabwe
that people who gave evidence to Mrs Tibaijuka’s team were
being victimised by the Government.

The reports cite Mutare mayor Mr Misheck Kagurabadza who was
fired for abuse of council funds and also claim that the
State was blocking humanitarian assistance to settlers at
Porta Farm.

Meanwhile, the China Foreign Affairs University has conferred
honorary professorship on President Mugabe on his
contribution to diplomacy and international affairs as well
as peace.

The university’s Vice President, Ambassador An Yongyu
conferred the honour on the President at a brief ceremony at
the university.

Ambassador Yongyu described President Mugabe as a leader of
international stature who had achieved a lot including
promoting peace and a great friend of China.

"Your acceptance of this title in recognition of outstanding
(contribution) in diplomacy and international relations is
great honour to this university," said Ambassador Yongyu.

He said the university, which was founded in 1955 has over
the past 50 years produced 17 000 graduates among whom 30
have become ministers with 300 becoming ambassadors of China
to various countries across the world.

At least another 1 000 have become counsellors at Chinese
foreign missions while others are director generals and hold
top posts in government departments and ministries.

In accepting the honour, President Mugabe, who has been
conferred with numerous honorary degrees by various
countries, said he hoped Zimbabweans studying diplomacy and
international relations would be able to enroll at the
university.

Ambassador Yongyu said Zimbabwe was welcome to enroll
students at the university.

[ras k]

greetings

"must people live in shacks and squalor..."

fascinating.

the article is fascinating
the situation is fascinating

the article on niger is fascinating

because the picture in the local paper here of course has a starving child crying and covered in flies...

the editorial implores the canadian govt not to support zimbabwe...

and this question (hopefully rhetorical) rings in my ears...

"MUST PEOPLE LIVE IN SHACKS AND SQUALOR ALL THE TIME?"

and yet again i am furthered in my opinion/goal/purpose of rural production of media and food.

ras k