Posted on 06/13/2002 4:35:21 AM PDT by Clive
author/source:Times (UK)
published:Thu 13-Jun-2002
posted on this site:Thu 13-Jun-2002
Article Type : News
In the margins of the United Nations' World Food Summit in Rome, Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, has twice demanded that Mr Mugabe permit a free market in grain to try to avert a famine. UN sources said that the Zimbabwean President had refused on both occasions
From James Bone in New York and Richard Owen in Rome
President Mugabe, who is spending the week blaming white "imperialists" for Zimbabwe's desperate food shortages, has been taken to task by the world's most senior black African official for blocking grain imports.
In the margins of the United Nations' World Food Summit in Rome, Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, has twice demanded that Mr Mugabe permit a free market in grain to try to avert a famine. UN sources said that the Zimbabwean President had refused on both occasions.
Instead Mr Mugabe told Afrikone, an African television station, yesterday that the West "enjoys seeing Africans suffer ... The more we suffer the happier they are". He added: "The only good imperialist is a dead imperialist."
On Monday Mr Annan privately urged Mr Mugabe to lift the state monopoly on all imports and sale of grain into the drought- stricken country, where commercial farming has almost collapsed because of the Government's land seizures. He repeated the demand later in the week, but was disappointed again.
Mr Mugabe's defiance threatens Zimbabwe with mass starvation. Six million people face malnutrition unless large amounts of cereals, especially maize, are brought into the country.
The Government controls all grain imports and distribution and is expected to import about 300,000 tonnes of grain this year, with a further 60,000 tonnes already promised in food aid. But the UN estimates that Zimbabwe needs 1.497 million tonnes of food, including 1.345 million tonnes of maize.
The summit, which is designed to combat world hunger, is drawing to a close with Third World leaders rounding on their Western counterparts for not attending.
President Mbeki of South Africa said that their absence showed that they "do not care about human life".
He said that the world's leaders, including President Bush and Tony Blair, had come to Rome only two weeks ago for a NatoRussia meeting. The fact that they had not returned to discuss how to tackle worldwide starvation suggested that "they obviously don't think the problem of 800 million starving people is important".
Only two Western nations had sent their Prime Ministers: Italy, which is hosting the summit, and Spain, which holds the presidency of the European Union Council of Ministers.
Alun Michael, the Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, finally arrived in Rome yesterday. But he did not speak publicly and left after five hours, making Britain the only EU nation not to have made a statement at the summit.
British officials insisted that, although Mr Michael had missed the first two days of the summit and would also miss its conclusion today, this did not amount to a boycott.
If the Ag ministers are in Rome while the G8 leaders prepare for the Alberta summit in which NEPAD will be the principal topic, Mbeki has no valid complaint.
As to Mugabe, I am becoming more and more convinced that Mugabe is experiencing a major psychotic break.
No sane leader puts his people through the hell that Zim is being put through.
He needs to say it out loud - up front and center! He wouldn't hesitate one second, if this was a right leaning country.
Psychotic break? I think it is being revealed that this is probably a normal condition instead of a 'break.'
" As to Mugabe, I am becoming more and more convinced that Mugabe is experiencing a major psychotic break.
No sane leader puts his people through the hell that Zim is being put through."
Does Mugabe have an agenda, or is he truly nuts? Looks like "nuts". But then, he's not the only nut: The summit, which is designed to combat world hunger, is drawing to a close with Third World leaders rounding on their Western counterparts for not attending.
Why should Western counterparts attend when food aid in the past has only enriched dictators? It's their government policies that are killing them. The West could only really help by re-colonizing, and nobody wants that. God help the innocent, right now it looks hopeless.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.