THE United Nations Security Council will meet Thursday to weigh the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe, but a wider political briefing has been blocked by South Africa and Russia who are members of the 15-member group.

The decision followed closed-door consultations on Zimbabwe earlier Monday at which the United States and its European allies tried to push for a wider political briefing by the UN secretariat.

This move was effectively blocked by South Africa and Russia.

According to press reports Monday, Russia and South Africa expressed concern that a wider political briefing might undermine a planned visit to Zimbabwe by UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios.

President Robert Mugabe welcomed Menkerios' visit after a meeting with the UN Secretary General ban Ki-Moon in Rome, Italy during the annual FAO conference last week

The dates of the visit are still being finalized.

The US wanted to raise the issue of the detention of diplomats in Zimbabwe at the U.N. Security Council, according to a statement by the State Department last week; but these efforts were met with resistance by members of the council.

In April South Africa and China blocked efforts to include Zimbabwe on the agenda of the 15-member council.

Lynn Pascoe, undersecretary-general for political affairs, presented a report handed over to him by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change's Secretary General Tendai Biti, to the council.

China, Russia, Libya and Vietnam spoke up against any Security Council discussion and action on Zimbabwe. Burkina Faso said that Africa should take the lead and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) should be given the opportunity to mediate in the Zimbabwe situation.