Britain Denies Trying to Embarrass South Africa Over Zimbabwe Issue At UN

The British government has denied that it deliberately brought the Zimbabwe issue onto the United Nations Security Council agenda while South Africa is president of the council with the intention of embarrassing South Africa, which does not believe Zimbabwe should be on the council’s agenda.

Russ Dixon, a spokesperson for the British high commission in South Africa said on Thursday that Britain had called for Zimbabwe to be discussed by the Security Council in March 2007 and again this week, because realities on the ground in Zimbabwe warranted a discussion. It just happened that these were two months when South Africa was president of the council, he said.

Dixon was responding to remarks to the press on Wednesday by George Nene, the deputy Director-General for Multilateral Affairs in the South African Department of Foreign Affairs. Nene said: “As it happened last year, I’m sure you are aware that Britain has always tried to make sure that the issue of Zimbabwe comes to the Security Council in this form, as a briefing during our presidency.

“I don’t know why they didn’t wait for their presidency of the Security Council,” Nene added, referring to the fact that Britain was to take over the presidency on Thursday. “They waited during March; they didn’t want to bring it up then.”

Asked if he thought Britain’s intention was to embarrass South Africa, Nene said: “Whether it is coincidence or not, it is up to you to judge.”

Dixon said: “It has never been our plan to raise Zimbabwe at the Security Council during South Africa’s presidency. The United Kingdom has argued several times for it to be raised … the crisis is of ongoing concern, but raising it at the Security Council has been the response to realities on the ground.”

In response to Nene’s question why Britain had not waited for its own presidency in May to raise Zimbabwe, Dixon said: “The elections have already been withheld for four weeks and the violence is increasing now. If things don’t improve, we expect Zimbabwe to be discussed again during our presidency.”

The Security Council is divided on a proposal by Lyn Pascoe, the UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, to send a UN fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe.

Source African Press Agency

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