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President Robert Mugabe and his closest ally yesterday launched a highly personal, orchestrated attack on Tony Blair, effectively hijacking the Earth Summit to blame Britain for Zimbabwe's crisis. "Blair, keep your England and let me keep my Zimbabwe," the 78-year-old leader declared to loud applause. His outburst - and an attack by his friend, Sam Nujoma, the Namibian president - dramatically upstaged Mr Blair's speech during a flying visit to the summit and his attempt to highlight Britain's commitment to environmental targets. Mr Mugabe had taken his seat at the Johannesburg conference to hear opening remarks by Kofi Annan, the...

Africa is refusing to accept responsibility for its problems, writes Tim Butcher in Johannesburg The anti-colonialist card has been played repeatedly by African leaders for decades now but President Robert Mugabe demonstrated yesterday that even in 2002 it has lost none of its potency. Warm applause and cheers greeted Mr Mugabe's latest rant against Britain and the "Blair Government" which he targets very personally in almost every speech he makes on his policy of seizing land from white farmers in Zimbabwe. The cheers reached beyond the debating chamber in the convention centre in the smart Johannesburg suburb of Sandton and...