Zimbabwe sanctions vetoed at UN
BayBak, Azerbaijan | 1773 days ago | Saturday, 12th July , 2008 , 00:27 [am] | Azerbaijan
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. | China and Russia both rejected the proposed measures, including a freeze on their financial assets and travel.
There has been growing international criticism of Zimbabwe since the re-election of Mr Mugabe in a run-off boycotted by the opposition. |
A draft resolution to impose sanctions on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and a number of his key allies has been vetoed at the UN Security Council.
China and Russia both rejected the proposed measures, including a freeze on their financial assets and travel.
There has been growing international criticism of Zimbabwe since the re-election of Mr Mugabe in a run-off boycotted by the opposition.
Several council members had previously expressed reservations about sanctions.
The South African ambassador to the UN had earlier argued against sanctions, and voted against them.
A BBC correspondent at the UN says the failure of the resolution will be a major blow for the United States and Britain.
The UK ambassador said after the vote that the UN had failed in its duty.
“The people of Zimbabwe need to be given hope that there is an end in sight to their suffering,” said Sir John Sawers.
“The Security Council today has failed to offer them that hope.”
However, Russia’s ambassador Vitaly Churkin said sanctions would have taken the UN beyond its mandate.
Envoy call
The resolution would have imposed an arms embargo on Zimbabwe and financial and travel restrictions on President Mugabe and 13 of his top officials.
It also called for a UN special envoy for Zimbabwe to be appointed.
The resolution had the support of nine council members, the minimum required to pass in the 15-member council.
But the veto of any of the five permanent members is enough to defeat a resolution, and both China and Russia voted against.
Zimbabwe has become a matter of increasing international concern, as violence increased after disputed presidential elections.
The leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the first round of Zimbabwe’s presidential elections on 29 March, but official results gave him less than the 50% share needed to avoid a run-off.
He pulled out of the run-off poll after many of his supporters were targeted, assaulted and even killed, leaving Mr Mugabe to win unopposed in the second round at the end of June.
Since March, the opposition says 113 of its supporters have been killed, some 5,000 are missing and more than 200,000 have been forced from their homes.bbc
, Voice of a Nation[1] Print
- 29/06/2008 Mugabe wins Zimbabwe’s one-man poll
- 23/06/2008 Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Pulls Out of Election
- 17/08/2008 Deal May Be Near in Zimbabwe Power-Sharing Talks
- 27/06/2008 Zimbabwe votes in Mugabe election
- 06/06/2008 UN Condemns Decision to Halt Aid in Zimbabwe
- 13/08/2008 ‘Deal reached’ in Zimbabwe talks
- 09/12/2008 WHO: Zimbabwe cholera may worsen
- 16/09/2008 Zimbabwe leaders sign unity deal
- 11/10/2008 Mugabe ‘gives Zanu-PF key posts’
- 01/04/2008 ‘No deal’ for Mugabe to step down
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