African Leaders Call For End To Sanctions On
Zimbabwe
African
leaders are to step up calls for an end to Western
sanctions against Zimbabwe and urged South Africa to
plead Harare's cause within the Group of 20 rich and
developing nations.
The officials said member countries of the Southern
African Development Community; SADC would also press
Zimbabwe's President, Robert Mugabe and Prime
Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai to end a row over a
power-sharing pact that was holding up vital foreign
aid.
Congolese Foreign Minister, Alexis Thambwe Mwamba,
said they were convinced that if sanctions were
lifted, Zimbabwe, within the framework of its
current political agreement, would have the
possibility to move towards development.
South Africa Lead the Way
Mwamba, whose country is taking over the SADC chair
and hosting the meeting in Kinshasa, said they would
also ask South Africa, which is the only sub-Saharan
African country that is a member of the G20, to
plead for Zimbabwe's cause.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai, formed a power-sharing
government in February as part of an SADC-backed
deal to end a political crisis that followed
disputed polls last year.
REUTERS/Qasim / Austeen