The hungry in economically shattered Zimbabwe can once again get international aid, humanitarian agencies said on Friday, the same day that on-again, off-again power-sharing talks resumed.
In separate statements on Friday, Oxfam and Save the Children said a government ban on their work in the field had been lifted almost three months after it was imposed. The government had ordered independent aid agencies to stop work before a presidential runoff, accusing them of supporting opposition activists. The groups denied the accusations, and the ban had been widely condemned as a ploy by the governing party to manipulate voters.
A month ago, the governing party agreed to lift the ban to help open the way to power-sharing talks. The delay in fulfilling the pledge had been cited as proof Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was not committed to the talks with the opposition, which had stalled over how much power Mugabe should surrender.
Earlier on Friday, South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad was quoted by South African media as saying “all relevant players are in South Africa” for a new round of talks. The talks, mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki, have been stalled over how much power Mugabe should surrender.
Mugabe opened an agricultural fair in Harare on Friday, while his aides were in South Africa for negotiations. The fair was once a major event, but it has deteriorated in recent years along with Zimbabwe’s farm-based economy. Foreign aid and investment could flow again if politicians can negotiate a settlement.
Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said: “We still remain confident that it’s possible for Zimbabweans to talk among themselves to resolve the impasse.”
But Chamisa said that “state-sponsored” violence against MDC members continued. Independent human and civil rights activists also have reported harassment — one group, the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, said police broke up a meeting on Thursday.
“It will be tragic if Mr Mugabe continues to proceed unilaterally,” Chamisa said on Friday, accusing Mugabe of having “torn apart” the agreement that opened the way to the power-sharing talks.
Under that July 21 agreement, Mugabe had pledged to lift the ban on aid distribution. UN humanitarian agencies predict the number of Zimbabweans who will need help to stave off hunger will rise to more than 5 million by early next year.
In a statement late on Friday, Oxfam said it “cautiously welcomed” the lifting of the ban, but was worried it would still face restrictions. It said aid agencies had been called to a meeting with government officials tomorrow “to clarify operation modalities.”
The Philippine Department of Justice yesterday labeled Vice President Sara Duterte the “mastermind” of a plot to assassinate the nation’s president, giving her five days to respond to a subpoena. Duterte is being asked to explain herself in the wake of a blistering weekend press conference where she said she had instructed that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr be killed should an alleged plot to kill her succeed. “The government is taking action to protect our duly elected president,” Philippine Undersecretary of Justice Jesse Andres said at yesterday’s press briefing. “The premeditated plot to assassinate the president as declared by the self-confessed mastermind
Ireland, the UK and France faced travel chaos on Saturday and one person died as a winter storm battered northwest Europe with strong winds, heavy rain, snow and ice. Hampshire Police in southern England said a man died after a tree fell onto a car on a major road near Winchester early in the day. Police in West Yorkshire said they were probing whether a second death from a traffic incident was linked to the storm. It is understood the road was not icy at the time of the incident. Storm Bert left at least 60,000 properties in Ireland without power, and closed
Czech intelligence chief Michal Koudelka has spent decades uncovering Russian spy networks, sabotage attempts and disinformation campaigns against Europe. Speaking in an interview from a high-security compound on the outskirts of Prague, he is now warning allies that pushing Kyiv to accept significant concessions to end the war in Ukraine would only embolden the Kremlin. “Russia would spend perhaps the next 10 to 15 years recovering from its huge human and economic losses and preparing for the next target, which is central and eastern Europe,” said Koudelka, a major general who heads the country’s Security Information Service. “If Ukraine loses, or is forced
THIRD IN A ROW? An expert said if the report of a probe into the defense official is true, people would naturally ask if it would erode morale in the military Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun (董軍) has been placed under investigation for corruption, a report said yesterday, the latest official implicated in a crackdown on graft in the country’s military. Citing current and former US officials familiar with the situation, British newspaper the Financial Times said that the investigation into Dong was part of a broader probe into military corruption. Neither the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Chinese embassy in Washington replied to a request for confirmation yesterday. If confirmed, Dong would be the third Chinese defense minister in a row to fall under investigation for corruption. A former navy
RSS