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Zmbabwe Police tried to protect Western Diplomats from unruly locals.
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| posted by blowfish 85 days ago |
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/africa/06zimbabwe.html?hp
Zimbabwe Releases Detained Western Diplomats
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By CELIA W. DUGGER and GRAHAM BOWLEY
Published: June 6, 2008
JOHANNESBURG ¡X A contingent of American and British diplomats investigating the political situation in Zimbabwe were stopped at a roadblock and detained by the police on Thursday, American officials said.
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Times Topics: Zimbabwe
Times Topics: Robert Mugabe
Times Topics: Morgan TsvangiraiThe diplomats were released from custody after five hours, according to the American ambassador to Zimbabwe, William McGee.
During a car chase of over 6 miles, the police tried to force the American diplomats off the road. When they were finally stopped, all four tires of their white S.U.V. were slashed and a local security official was punched.
The diplomats were part of a convoy of three vehicles from the American and British embassies in Harare. They had gone to a town about 55 miles north of the capital, Harare, Thursday morning and were talking to opposition activists and victims of political violence when they were approached by police officers and ordered to a nearby police station, American officials said.
The diplomats refused and, after a phone call to the American embassy back in Harare, set off in their vehicles in different directions. One car, containing American diplomats, took back roads and reached Harare safely. The second American car took the main road back to Harare before it was stopped at the roadblock north of the capital, near Mazoe. The British car was stopped at the same roadblock, the ambassador said.
Mr. McGee, who has been outspoken about state-sponsored violence against the opposition party and who was not part of the convoy, said the detention was a clear attempt by the government to stop outside observers witnessing attacks against the opposition and its supporters.
¡§The government is trying to intimidate diplomats from traveling to the countryside in order to witness the violence," he said. ¡§The bottom line is this: Zimbabwe is a lawless country. The government of Zimbabwe is not following their own laws nor international law.¡¨
The police officers who apprehended the diplomats were joined by military officers and war veterans who pulled a gun on the diplomats, another American official said. According to the official, the American diplomats were told their car would be burned if they did not get out of the car.
A police spokesman, Wayne Bvudzijena, denied that security agents had threatened the diplomats, according to The Associated Press. He said that instead the police were trying to rescue them from a hostile mob.
¡§It¡¦s unfortunate when diplomats behave like criminals and distort information,¡¨ Mr. Bvudzijena said, the A.P. reported. ¡§It is a very sad situation.¡¨
On Wednesday, the Zimbabwean police detained Morgan Tsvangirai, the main opposition leader who placed first in Zimbabwe¡¦s March elections and now faces a runoff with President Robert Mugabe in a vote scheduled for June 27. Mr. Tsvangirai was held for nine hours and charged with drawing a big crowd before being released.
Amnesty International condemned his detention as part of a ¡¨sharp and dangerous crackdown¡¨ that has included killings, torture and the intimidation of the political opposition ahead of this month¡¦s runoff.
Last month, Mr. Mugabe threatened to expel Mr. McGee, accusing him of meddling in the country¡¦s internal affairs.
Mr. McGee, who had been in cell phone contact with the detained diplomats, sent embassy security officials to assist the diplomats, but the officials were also detained. It appeared that a total of five Americans had been detained.
The United States expressed outrage and said it would raise the issue at the United Nations Security Council, the A.P. reported.
¡§It is absolutely outrageous and it is a case of the kind of repression and violence that this government is willing to use against its own people,¡¨ State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
Celia W. Dugger reported from Johannesburg and Graham Bowley from New York
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| posted by adfundum 85 days ago |
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Weird that.
Most of our members actually manage to read the newspapers all by themselves, and don't need it reprinted here, unless it serves as background to an opinion or statement...
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Even sick puppies need love...
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| posted by Beer Boy 85 days ago |
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bit hard to find the New York Times at the 7-11 downstairs though, Fundy
Apologies in advance for my poor sentence structure, but a retard is at the keyboard!
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