The Zimbabwe Guardian (London)
14 May 2008
THE GOVERNMENT has accused Western ambassadors on Wednesday of breaching Zimbabwe's laws and undermining President Robert Mugabe's government by "cooking up" evidence of political violence.
U.S. ambassador James McGee and diplomats from Britain, the European Union, Japan, the Netherlands and Tanzania were questioned for about 45 minutes at a police checkpoint outside the capital Harare on Tuesday.
They were also held up at a rural hospital where they visited victims of post-election violence and were questioned by officials about their reasons for being there.
The Secretary for Information and Publicity, George Charamba told the Herald newspaper that the incident was of serious concern.
He said that diplomats were not above the law in Zimbabwe and should abide by the laws of the land.
"In Zimbabwe even mighty America is not above the law of the land. We have rules and regulations and his predecessor (Ambassador Christopher Dell) should have told him that," Charamba said.
McGee is reported to have breached a rule that prohibited them from travelling more than 40 km (25 miles) outside Harare without prior clearance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ambassador was reportedly on his way to Centenary, some 150km outside Harare.
Ambassador McGee argued with the police for an hour, after which he was escorted back to Harare.
A report accused the envoys of "circumventing diplomatic protocol" and going on a "spirited campaign to demonize the government ahead of the presidential election run-off".
Charamba indicated that there were international protocols and conventions forbidding diplomats from interfering in the affairs of a sovereign state.
Article 41 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states: "Without prejudice to their privileges and immunities, it is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State. They also have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State."
Section 2 of Article 41 states that, "All official business with the receiving State entrusted to the mission by the sending State shall be conducted with or through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the receiving State or such other ministry as may be agreed."
"The presence of several journalists from private-owned media houses in his (McGee's) convoy appeared to confirm suspicions that the 'fact-finding missions' have largely been stage-managed to come up with 'cooked up evidence' of political violence" in support of the opposition, read a report in the daily paper.
The U.S. State Department through its embassy in Harare issued a statement condemning what it called "harassment" of the diplomats.
"The May 13 detention and questioning of the U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe and diplomats from five other missions in Harare by Zimbabwean security forces constitutes harassment ...," the U.S. State Department said in a statement Wednesday.
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Aren't you sensationalizing a wee bit? Two days ago I read reports that they had their "diplomatic note" and presented it at the checkpoint.
Some junior officials were probably just trying to do their job. Charamba should be questioning his own staff as to why they didn't inform ZRP who would have informed personnel in the districts. The ZRP are a proud force and you are running them down.
ZRP is a proud force? What have they got to be proud of?
Zim has rules and regulations ? That must be a joke from the official. His demonic master rules by decree and those must be the rules he is talking about. He wants to prevent the US ambassador from traveling any further outside of Harare in case the ambassador would demonize ZANU-PF, for what ? By seeing what horrors ZANU-PF are inflicting on Zimbabwe's citizens, there ! This must be the most ridiculous statement of self-indictment I've heard in a while from this genius of an official. Also to think that they actually think they have a reputation to uphold is still further proof of their delusional idiocy ! ZANU-PF are effectively a bunch of thugs holding a country to ransom. I believe that they still accuse their victims using the old Marxist label of "sellout" while torturing some poor unfortunate random victim in order to get themselves voted into power through intimidation as they did in 1980. Mugabe was always into "liberation" for personal power. It may have worked then but unfortunately the Zimbabwean voter is now a little less naive.
Why is Zimbabwe so concerned that he might travel outside of a very restrictive area that has been inforced on him. What have they got to hide? If there is nothing to hide whats the problem?
Its funny that if he was there in the capacity of a tourist, he could travel around whatever part of the country he wanted too. But because he is there as an official he would be breaking 'protocol'.
The United States doesnt like it's diplomats attacked, if the "law enforcement" officer had actually driven his car over the US Ambassador I think Mr Mugabe and his cronies would be eating some humble pie as a carrier battle group dropped anchor off the coast of mozambique to arrest the little policeman!
Someone should tell Muagbes henchmen that they NO longer control the government and so their attempts to control foreign diplomats is unconstitutional. Get the facts right. Change the government, throw out these idiots that have destroyed the country and lets get on with rebuilding the econonmy. EVERYONE knows now that Mugabe is and always was a terrorist. He is a thug and a mass murderer. Someone should have the guts to tell these people that they will in the next few years be had up for crimes against humanity.
That is why Mugabe is clinging to power at all costs because he is afraid of swinging by the neck and he knows it is coming.
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