Zimbabwe -- Mugabe begs for aid from Castro

Times (UK) via ZWNews ^ | July 17, 2002 | Daniel McGrory

[Clive]

President Mugabe of Zimbabwe was forced to beg for help yesterday from one of his last remaining political allies - President Castro of Cuba.

Cuba is in no position to bail out anybody, but it shows the desperation of Mr Mugabe that he has to turn to Havana to stave off Zimbabwe's economic collapse. He needs funds urgently to pay off mounting debts to his chief benefactor, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, who is tiring of Zimbabwe's failure to honour their deal.

Zimbabwe is trying to renegotiate the $360 million (£230 million) deal, which expires at the end of the month, in which Libya lends Zimbabwe money for fuel in return for a sizeable stake in farms, hotels and oil installations owned by the Harare Government. The Libyans complain that they have seen no return and have sent three high-powered delegations to Harare in the past month to thrash out better terms.

Mr Mugabe and his wife have been feted on a visit to Cuba, where yesterday they met Senor Castro at the Palace of the Revolution.

Cuba is promising to send more doctors to Zimbabwe, where the health service is disintegrating and where most of its own doctors have fled abroad.

Zimbabwe's diplomats are said not to have been paid for three months and food supplies are so short that Ethiopia has offered to send grain.

But Mr Mugabe is running out of friends to help him. Some senior figures from the Chinese Communist Party were in Harare last month and agreed to buy 25,000 tonnes of tobacco, although drought and chaos on Zimbabwe's best farms may put this deal in jeopardy. The Chinese also agreed to provide interest-free loans, tractors and other equipment to war veterans who have taken over white-owned farms.

A report yesterday by the United Nations' Economic Commission for Africa blamed the seizure of white-owned farms for contributing to what it called "the deepest economic crisis in Zimbabwe's history".

[Clive]

-

[blam]

Send'em a ship load of Havana cigars.

[Mike Fieschko]

How long before Zimbabwe joins the 'axis of evil' (not a joke)?

[Kenton]

Hahahaha.... that's like trying to borrow money from the homeless guy on the corner with the squeegie... Cuba is broke, they can't even feed their own people.

Oh well, at least now I don't have to worry about my tax money going to prop up Mugabe, now that Castro's gonna handle that...

[PeterPrinciple]

"Libya lends Zimbabwe money for fuel in return for a sizeable stake in farms, hotels and oil installations owned by the Harare Government."

Beginning to make sense as to why the farms were taken away from successfull farmers. Wonder if Libya will collect?

[Vast Buffalo Wing Conspiracy]

You know the saying: "coals to Newcastle".

[dyed_in_the_wool]

BBWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I wonder if Dag Hammerskold is resting peacefully in hell tonight.

[APBaer]

"Zimbabwe -- Mugabe begs for aid from Castro"

I guess he couldn't get Worldcom on the phone.

[Exeter]

"...food supplies are so short that Ethiopia has offered to send grain."

Man, you are REALLY bad off when Ethiopia offers to send you food...

[headsonpikes]

This is a hilarious story!

One must admit that observing Mugabe having to beg from the King of the Hobos is tres amusant, as they say in Paris.

I know I'm laughing!

[Malcolm]

A know-it-all racist asking a poor tyrant for $$$. ROTFLMAO!!!

[xJones]

e Libyans complain that they have seen no return and have sent three high-powered delegations to Harare in the past month to thrash out better terms.

Oh, these socialist captialists!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

But Mr Mugabe is running out of friends to help him. Some senior figures from the Chinese Communist Party were in Harare last month and agreed to buy 25,000 tonnes of tobacco, although drought and chaos on Zimbabwe's best farms may put this deal in jeopardy. The Chinese also agreed to provide interest-free loans, tractors and other equipment to war veterans who have taken over white-owned farms.

Backing the crooks, how intersting!

[backhoe]

Word is ( reluctantly ) leaking out:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/718031/posts

Nightline 07/16-07/17 on Africa famine

Nightline (ABC)

"good point about Nightline's FAILURE to report cause of food shortages. Few media sources ever tell the truth about the sinkhole African aid drops into. Dictators stash cash in numbered accounts while people starve. As much as we might like to help the people, there's no way to do so through government channels"

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!!