Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Zimbabwe

Britain recalls ambassador

    JOHANNESBURG

    Britain on Thursday recalled its Zimbabwean ambassador in protest at customs officials who forcibly opened diplomatic bags destined for the British embassy, media reports said.

    The 7 mt shipment was impounded by Zimbabwean officials on Saturday, who argued that they reserved the right to open unusually large “diplomatic” packages. The stalemate continued until Wednesday when Zimbabwe’s customs officials forcibly opened the bags and discovered protective screening equipment for communications as well as tools for its installation.

    “This is not the act of a civilised country,” Britain’s Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain reportedly said. “This is a grave breach of the Vienna Convention and Zimbabwe should be in no doubt that this is totally unacceptable behaviour.” Hain added that Britain had accordingly decided to recall its ambassador from Harare for consultations.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join