Zimbabwe: UN Envoy Told He 'Is Not Welcome in Zimbabwe'
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Business Day (Johannesburg)
8 August 2008
Posted to the web 8 August 2008
Dumisani Muleya
Johannesburg
DESPITE negotiations on a power-sharing deal progressing well, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has barred a United Nations (UN) envoy from visiting the country to assess the talks between Zanu (PF) and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
The blocking of the visit this week by UN assistant secretary-general for political affairs Haile Menkerios is likely to heighten tensions between Harare and the world body.
Menkerios, an experienced Eritrean diplomat, flew to SA on Tuesday to monitor the talks, UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said this week.
He was recently appointed part of President Thabo Mbeki's three-man "reference group" on the talks which was set up as a condition for continued participation by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who had accused Mbeki of not being an impartial mediator.
Last night the MDC could not be reached for comment.
Yesterday, Zimbabwe's permanent representative to the UN, Boniface Chidyausiku, confirmed that Menkerios was blocked from visiting Harare.
"The talks have now reached a delicate stage and we don't want any interference. Why does he want to engage in a parallel process?" he said.
Diplomatic sources said Menkerios -- who was due in Harare today -- was told by Zimbabwean authorities he was "not welcome" and there was no need for him to visit the country since the reference group worked with Mbeki, not Mugabe. He was told that even if he arrived there, no official would meet him and his visit would not be regarded as authorised.
"Menkerios was to have meetings with Mugabe, government officials and opposition leaders. "But government told him he was not welcome because the mediator was in Pretoria," a senior diplomat said.
UN spokesman Farahan Haq said yesterday Menkerios was in Pretoria and "arrangements are still being made for his visit" to Zimbabwe.
UN representative in Harare Agostinho Zacarias is expected to travel to Pretoria today to meet Menkerios.
The fallout from Harare's decision could give ammunition to the US and UK, which are keen to impose UN-backed sanctions on Mugabe and his cronies in response to disputed elections, political violence and killings. The two, together with the European Union, recently stepped up sanctions, although they failed at the UN when Russia and China vetoed a US draft resolution.
Relevant Links
The resolution, which called for an arms embargo and financial and travel restrictions on Mugabe and 13 officials, was backed by nine nations but foundered on the vetoes.
Read comments. Write your own.
Sir you can blame Europe and America as much as you want, but recent history and experience has shown that African Countries and their goverments are totally unable to manage their own internal conflicts. Mugabe has done everything in his power to bring a once striving economy in the Southern tip of Africa to her knees. What exactly does Mugabe want? If you live in Europe and America as I know you do, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to liken our way of reasoning and doing things as akin to animals. The once solid infastructure left by the colonial… [Read Full Text]
Its very unfortunate, that we see things on them and us. The UN Envoy should have been around during the negotiations since he was part of the reference group, not an endorser of the final stage. We need to know where he has been all this time, that now he wants to be seen as if he alone has the last word. These are African problems, created by external forces, but we are able to solve things ourselves. The next time there is war in Africa any weapons which originate from The US and Europe, the Presidents of those countries… [Read Full Text]
Sorry any organization that sets itself up as a watchdog for the world is not welcome in my eyes.
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It is as easy as ABC. The Zimbabwean discourse is for Zimbabweans with assistance from SADC and AU under Mbeki. The UN has been manipulated to advance western influence UK/US/EU on this African independent state. The delicacy of our internal engagement does not call for any outside quarters to play diplomatic shenanigans that may sway the national opinion towards the construction of a new gvt. The MoU says ‘back off!!” keep your stupid prying opinion Menkerios, just go back and tell your backers that Africans CAN alone and let all consultation be through the AU and SADC.