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(NEWZIMBABWE) Mugabe has not learnt Egypt lessons: US

Mugabe has not learnt Egypt lessons: US
by AFP
24/02/2011 00:00:00

THE US State Department said Tuesday that President Robert Mugabe has failed to heed the lessons from Arab revolts against longtime autocrats after the arrest of 46 activists, including 11 women, who met to discuss the implications of the uprisings on Zimbabwe.

"Activists meet in Zimbabwe to discuss the implications of Egypt and Tunisia and end up arrested. Mugabe did not learn the right lessons," spokesman Philip Crowley wrote on the micro-blogging website Twitter.

Police detained a former lawmaker and 45 others at a meeting discussing the protests in Egypt which pushed president Hosni Mubarak out of power after a 30-year-reign.

They were picked up late Saturday afternoon at a meeting where they were discussing the events in Egypt and whether other countries would follow what happened there.

Among the arrested were Munyaradzi Gwisai, a university lecturer and former lawmaker from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, trade unionists, students and opposition supporters.

Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980, has been nominated by his party to stand again for president in elections expected later this year, which will end his shaky power-sharing government with long-time rival Tsvangirai.

Labels: EGYPT, HYPOCRISY, MUNYARADZI GWISAI, ROBERT MUGABE

posted by MrK @ 3:57 PM