Diplomatic Briefing
Your exclusive news aggregator handpicked daily!Archive for Zimbabwe
Newsline: Zimbabwe’s Ruling Party Calls US Ambassador a ‘Thug’
Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party spokesman Patrick Chinamasa lashed out at the U.S. government and U.S. Ambassador Brian Nichols. Chinamasa claimed the U.S., through Nichols, was backing Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, via anti-government protests scheduled for Friday. “If he continues to engage in acts undermining the republic, mobilizing and funding disturbances, coordinating violence and training insurgency, our leadership will not hesitate to give him marching orders,” said Chinamasa. “Diplomats should not behave like thugs and Brian Nichols is a thug … We remind Nichols that he is not a super diplomat in this country. … We have nothing to learn from the United States.” (https://www.voanews.com/africa/zimbabwes-ruling-party-calls-us-ambassador-thug-tensions-rise) Tensions with Zimbabwe surfaced after the U.S. Embassy last week spoke out against police arresting a prominent journalist and an opposition leader. The U. S. Embassy in Harare had no immediate reaction to the remarks or the threat to expel Ambassador Nichols.
Newsline: Zimbabwe summons US ambassador over protests comments
Zimbabwe summoned the US ambassador in Harare after US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien referred to the nation as a foreign adversary and suggested it was taking advantage of protests over the killing of George Floyd to foment unrest. In response, Ambassador Brian Nichols released a striking and personal statement drawing on Floyd’s death to call on the Zimbabwean government to end its violence against activists and to hold those who perpetuated such crimes accountable. Nichols met with Zimbabwean Foreign Minister S.B. Moyo “amid a painful, sad and infuriating week,” he said in the statement Monday. The meeting came a day after O’Brien included Zimbabwe in a catalog of “foreign adversaries” who he said, without presenting evidence, were “going to take advantage of this crisis to sow discord and to try and damage our democracy.” (https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/01/politics/zimbabwe-ambassador-statement/index.html) A State Department spokesperson confirmed that Nichols and Moyo met to discuss O’Brien’s remarks. Nichols said in his statement that “George Floyd’s brutal killing, hundreds of thousands of the world’s most vulnerable people succumbing to a global pandemic, the crushing economic cost of lockdowns borne by the poorest among us, remind us that we cannot wait for justice or to recognize each other’s humanity.”
Newsline: Home invasion charges against Zimbabwe’s diplomat dropped due to immunity
Zimbabwe’s diplomat Moyana was booked at the Montgomery County Detention Center on charges of home invasion, second-degree assault, third-degree burglary, reckless endangerment, and trespassing. All five counts carried a combined total of up to 50 years in prison. Within hours, a court commissioner granted Moyana a $10,000 unsecured personal bond. That allowed the accused felon to walk out of jail without putting down any money. According to court documents, Moyana is the counselor of the Embassy of Zimbabwe, a title he had held for approximately a month at the time of his arrest. Court filing, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office stated it had “decided not to go forward with prosecution.” Prosecutors dropped all charges against Moyana due to diplomatic immunity. (https://wjla.com/news/local/police-high-level-embassy-of-zimbabwe-diplomat-breaks-into-home-gets-diplomatic-immunity) Reached by telephone Thursday afternoon, a woman at the Embassy of Zimbabwe — located along New Hampshire Avenue in Northwest D.C. — stated Moyana recently returned to the African nation of around 14 million people. She declined to answer any other questions.
Newsline: Zimbabwe was not evicted from its London embassy
Zimbabwe House is still listed at 429 Strand. AFP in London also visited the building and saw that the embassy was operating as normal. (https://factcheck.afp.com/no-zimbabwe-was-not-evicted-its-london-embassy-it-owns-building) The building was erected in 1908 to serve as headquarters for the British Medical Association. The government of Southern Rhodesia had acquired the British Medical Association Building in the Strand and remodelled it into offices for its London representatives. It’s been known as Zimbabwe House since the country’s independence in 1980. Prior to that, it was known as Rhodesia House. Zimbabwe House is also a Grade II* listed building on the National Heritage List for England – that grading means it’s an important building of more than special interest. According to the UK Land Registry, Zimbabwe House belongs to the Zimbabwe government.
Newsline: U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe deletes tweet after criticism
The U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe deleted a tweet praising the country’s late Prime Minister and President Robert Mugabe after users called out his controversial human rights record. Mugabe died Friday at age 95, two years after he was forced to resign after decades in power. “The United States extends its condolences to the Mugabe family and the people of Zimbabwe as they mourn the passing of former President Robert Mugabe,” the since-deleted tweet read. “We join the world in reflecting on his legacy in securing Zimbabwe’s independence.” Fox News’ Tucker Carlson called the tweet an example of the executive branch being “completely out of control.” “Apparently the US Ambassador to Zimbabwe signed off on it,” Carlson said Friday on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” “He should be recalled for that… This is when you know the executive branch of government is completely out of control. That it’s being run by bureaucrats who don’t care at all who was elected, who are acting out their left-wing agendas without any restraint. (https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tucker-carlson-robert-mugabe-dead-us-embassy-zimbabwe-tweet) “Because Robert Mugabe was such a bad leader that no normal person would look at him and say we need to mourn his passing,” Carlson continued.”The only words in response to his death would be ‘good riddance.'”
Newsline: Zimbabwe protests US sanction against its Tanzania ambassador
Zimbabwe protested against US sanctions against its current ambassador to Tanzania for his alleged role in the repression of a post-election demonstration that killed six people last year in his country. Anselem Sanyatwe, former head of the presidential guard, is accused of commanding the soldiers who opened fire in August 2018 on demonstrators protesting against a delay in publishing the results of the previous month’s presidential election. The Zimbabwean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement that it had summoned the United States Ambassador to Harare, Brian Nichols, to “express its dissatisfaction” with the sanctions imposed on Mr. Sanyatwe. (https://www.africanews.com/2019/08/03/zimbabwe-protests-us-sanction-against-its-tanzania-ambassador/) The United States has denied him entry to its territory for “his involvement in serious human rights violations”.
Newsline: Zimbabwean group camps at US Embassy
A group of seven citizens has camped at the United States Embassy in Harare calling for the removal of the illegal sanctions the country imposed on Zimbabwe and vowed to stay put until they are removed. The organiser of the vigil Mr Calvern Chitsunge said the sanctions imposed by the US had proved that they were targeting all Zimbabweans. “We have organised this vigil to show the world that sanctions are not targeted at the individuals on the list, but all Zimbabweans,” he said. (https://www.herald.co.zw/group-camps-at-us-embassy/) The Broad Alliance Against Sanctions members have urged Zimbabweans to follow their lead in calling for the lifting of sanctions that have crippled industry and cost the country over US$50 billion in the last two decades.
Newsline: Zimbabwe War Vets Get Green-Light to Besiege U.S. Embassy in Harare
Police approved an anti-sanctions demonstration by war-veterans. The former liberation war fighters notified the police early this month, of their intention to petition the US embassy in Harare, demanding that its government removes sanctions imposed on leading figures in the Zanu PF administration. “We have no objection to your holding an Anti-Sanctions Vigil at the American Embassy on the 29th of March from 1400hrs until they give a positive response. “We trust and pray that your event will be a success although the regulating authority still reserves the right to stop the event should it turn out to be a public order threat or violate any Zimbabwean law,” reads the police statement in part. (https://allafrica.com/stories/201903300058.html) The United States has maintained targeted restrictions on individuals mainly within the ruling Zanu PF party renewing them annually arguing Zimbabwe poses a threat to its foreign policy. US President Donald Trump extended sanctions on the country by a year over “unusual and extraordinary policies which are a threat to US foreign policy.”
Newsline: Britain summons Zimbabwe ambassador
Britain summoned Zimbabwe’s ambassador to register its disquiet over a crackdown on dissent by security forces in Zimbabwe. Britain’s Minister of State for Africa Harriet Baldwin revealed that she had discussed the crisis with Zimbabwe’s top diplomat in London, Christian Katsande. “Just spoken to Zimbabwean ambassador regarding this week’s protests in Zimbabwe. Worrying levels of violence – urged restraint from security forces and the need to restore internet access,” Baldwin said on Twitter. Britain’s ambassador to Zimbabwe Melanie Robinson said she had also held discussions with Zimbabwean authorities after fuel price protests triggered a brutal response by the police and military. Doctors say as many as 72 people have been treated for gunshot wounds, with several fatalities.
https://www.zimlive.com/2019/01/britain-summons-zimbabwe-ambassador-over-security-forces-clampdown/
Newsline: UK shames Zimbabwe embassy
Government was left with egg on its face after Zimbabwe’s embassy in the United Kingdom was named among 23 diplomatic missions that are not paying their rates. The diplomatic missions now owe the British taxman more than £1.5 million in unpaid business rates, which should have been paid on December 31, 2017. Zimbabwe’s embassy, which occupies a Grade 11-listed building in central London, reportedly owes £101,694 (about US$129,000) in business rates. Top of the list is Sudan’s mission which owes £137,122, followed by the Iranian embassy at £123,570. Government officials in Harare had not responded to NewZimbabwe.com’s questions at the late last night.
https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-152740.html
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