Western diplomats meet over threats from war vets

Western diplomats and members of non-governmental organisations met on Thursday to discuss tightening their security after reports that Zimbabwean war veterans were planning to raid foreign missions suspected of funding or supporting the opposition, AFP reported. “We met as a group of those who felt were potential targets and we discussed how to improve our physical security,” a diplomatic source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was quoted as saying. He said the meeting had agreed to request confirmation from the Zimbabwean government that it still respected the Vienna Convention. The convention compels host governments to ensure the safety of foreign missions. The meeting came after war veteran leader Chenjerai Hunzvi was quoted on Thursday in the independent weekly, the ‘Financial Gazette’, as saying that his organisation would not tolerate Harare-based embassies which backed the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). “Our next target after solving workers’ problems in factories and companies will be to deal once and for all with foreign embassies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who are funding the MDC,” Hunzvi was quoted as saying. He did not specify which embassies would be targeted or what form the threat would take. According to a Reuters report, Zimbabwe’s foreign ministry warned diplomats late on Thursday that it could not guarantee their protection if they supported the MDC. Foreign affairs senior secretary Willard Chiwewe was quoted as saying that all diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe would continue to receive “full protection of the law”, provided they did not indulge in partisan politics. “However, those diplomats who, for whatever reason ... seek to further the interests of one political party against another ... may not hope to receive assistance from the minister of foreign affairs,” he was quoted as saying in a statement. He underscored the need for security for NGO personnel undertaking “genuine humanitarian work”, but reportedly said that NGOs should “take stern steps against overzealous members and staff who wilfully seek to disturb the peace by extending support to, or acting on behalf of, one political party against another”. Hunzvi’s threat prompted several foreign missions in Zimbabwe - including the US, British and German - to seek assurances of safety from the government. The South African government, which has so far shied away from openly involving itself in its neighbours problems, called Zimbabwean High Commissioner Simon Moyo to Pretoria on Thursday to demand an end to attacks on South African companies. Moyo was told that the invasion of at least eight South African firms in Harare, accompanied by assaults and abductions of South African executives, were “unacceptable and had to stop”, according to Sipho Pityana, South Africa’s director-general of foreign affairs. According to ‘The Star’ newspaper, he told a press briefing that Moyo had undertaken to convey Pretoria’s concerns to his government and to recommend “certain steps”. He said Moyo had not spelt out what the steps would be, “but our understanding is that they would protect South African businesses”. A South African Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) statement said the government had “called upon the Zimbabwean government to take measures to safeguard the interests of South African businesses, some of which are among the largest investors in Zimbabwe”. The attacks on South African firms came as war veterans intensified their month-old attacks on private companies which they accuse of ill-treating or underpaying workers across the country. Referring to the threat against foreign missions in Zimbabwe, Pityana told reporters South Africa would not object if there were peaceful marches against embassies, but it would be a problem if there were illegal activities that entailed intimidation or violence. Meanwhile, the ‘Financial Gazette’ reported on Thursday that US lawmakers were due this week to table the Zimbabwe Democracy Bill - which seeks to ban US aid to the government - in the House of Representatives. Congressional sources were quoted as saying that the action to fast-track the passage of the Bill, which has received overwhelming support from members of the US Congress, had been prompted by the rapidly deteriorating political climate in Zimbabwe. Officials following the proposed US legislation said that once the Bill was presented to the House of Representatives, parallel debates would take place in the two houses of the American legislature to expedite its passage. The Bill had been due to be debated in the Senate first and then passed before being taken to the House of Representatives. The Bill seeks to suspend bilateral assistance to the Zimbabwe government and debt reduction until the government embraces the rule of law and restores democratic institutions. For related reports, please see: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/archive/zimbabwe.phtml