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Russia justifies its opposition to sanctions against Zimbabwe

Russia justifies its opposition to sanctions against Zimbabwe
By Jack Zimba
Wednesday July 16, 2008 [04:00]

RUSSIA has said the US draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council seeking tougher sanctions on Zimbabwe would have undermined international efforts aimed at achieving a political settlement in that country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, in a statement released by the Russian Embassy in Lusaka yesterday noted that the adoption of the resolution would have set a dangerous precedent, allowing interference by the Security Council in domestic affairs of sovereign states.

The ministry stated that such a move would have been a gross violation of the UN Charter and would "unbalance the entire United Nations system".

"Based on its principled position with regard to Zimbabwe, Russia will continue working persistently in a bilateral format and within international entities towards the achievement of national consensus and stability in that country," the statement reads in part.
However, Russia condemned the violence that preceded the runoff poll on June 27, putting the blame on both sides.

"We condemn the irregularities and acts of violence during this period, for which the Zimbabwean authorities and opposition are responsible alike," the statement reads in part.
Russia, which holds a permanent seat in the council, voted along with China against the US proposal, which sought to impose more sanctions on Zimbabwe.

And finance minister Ng'andu Magande said Zambia is happy with the recent resolution adopted by the African Union (AU) on Zimbabwe.

Commenting on the recently held AU summit in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, where he stood in for President Levy Mwanawasa after he fell ill, Magande said Zambia had elected not to speak on the Zimbabwe issue at the summit because it had already made its position clear on the matter.

"We are happy because it recognises that there is problem. You know President (Thabo) Mbeki was saying there was no problem, but now he is trying to get the two political parties to meet, meaning that there is something which is not going right," Magande said. "Zambia didn't speak in spite you seeing me sitting next to President Robert Mugabe. And they appreciated that; they said they were impressed that we didn't speak, but I told them that we didn't speak because we had already spoken to them in Lusaka."

He said there was nothing new in the AU resolution because it endorsed the Southern African Development Community (SADC) position on Zimbabwe.

He also said he was comfortable sitting next to President Mugbe, whom he said he knew personally.

"I have sat and talked to President Mugabe many, many times and he knows me personally so it wasn't something that I could get scared of," he said.
In its resolution, the AU expressed "deep concern about the violence and the loss of life that has occurred in Zimbabwe," and called on the two parties - the Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to meet and discuss a government of national unity.

Labels: RUSSIA, SANCTIONS, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 3:54 AM