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Zimbabwe

Answer

My hon. Friend speaks very wisely, if I may say so. Successive Foreign Secretaries in this Government have been guided by three concerns when dealing with Zimbabwe. First, we have given priority to the interests of the people of Zimbabwe, and we have done everything in our power—in ways that the Government of Zimbabwe could not manipulate—to help, support and aid them, not least through direct food aid, and so on. Secondly, we have always acted in ways that would promote reform and genuine democratic dialogue in Zimbabwe, although we have been careful not to give Mugabe an excuse to act against those in Zimbabwe who are prepared to stand up to him publicly, as that would be to put them at further risk. We have always tried to be guided by what those people have said was the balance to be struck between supporting them and not putting them at risk. Thirdly, the Government have been guided consistently by the fact that Mugabe has always used any stance taken by the UK as an excuse to stir up support among people elsewhere in Africa—and I suspect that this may be one of the reasons other African Governments stay their hands in respect of Zimbabwe—for claims that the dispute is between the old colonial power that wants to take back power and to interfere with Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe’s heroic revolutionary Government. Sadly, those claims have much too much resonance in Africa. That is why we have always tried to make sure that we deprive Mugabe of that excuse, while remaining strong in condemnation of his actions.

Secondary information

Type

Oral question

Reference

458 c673 

Session

2006-07

Oral question type

Supplementary

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber

Subjects

Africa International cooperation Politics and government Zimbabwe

Link

View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk