Britain is finally starting to take action with with its former colony Zimbabwe (no-one else seems to be doing so).
The Queen has stripped Mugabe of his knighthood over his disregard for democracy. This follows Britain banning the Zimbabwe cricket team playing in England in May next year against the England&Wales team, and Zimbabwe being thrown out of the Commonwealth until it gets its act together.
Mugabe stripped of his knighthood after Queen gives her backing as Britain starts to cut ties with Zimbabwean regime
By Daily Mail Reporter
25th June 2008
Daily Mail
The Foreign Office said Mugabe's knighthood was anulled with the Queen's backing over his "abuse of human rights" and "abject disregard for democracy".
Robert Mugabe pictured with the Queen during his state visit to Britain in 1994, when he was awarded the honorary knighthood
Prime Minister Gordon Brown threatened to name and shame the "criminal cabal" keeping Mugabe in power, as Zimbabwe Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai emerged briefly from his refuge in the Dutch embassy in Harare to warn the country was "burning" and beg the international community to intervene.
Though a group of southern African nations held an emergency meeting today to discuss the crisis, South Africa president Thabo Mbeki - the leader charged with the task of negotiating a solution - refused to attend.
Mr Brown revealed also today that he was seeking to block a Zimbabwe cricket tour of England planned for next year.
The Queen approved the annulment of Mr Mugabe's knighthood - awarded in 1994 - on the recommendation of Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "This action has been taken as a mark of revulsion at the abuse of human rights and abject disregard for the democratic process in Zimbabwe over which President Mugabe has presided."
"We are preparing intensified sanctions - financial and travel sanctions - against named members of the Mugabe regime," Mr Brown said during his weekly question-and-answer session in the House of Commons.
The ball's on the slates: Robert Mugabe kicks a football in a crowd of party supporters at a campaign rally held in Banket
The Foreign Office and a European Union list confirm that 131 individuals connected to Mugabe's regime are currently the subject of EU travel and financial sanctions, under EU measures drafted in 2002.
Beyond that, Downing Street office said an unspecified number of other leaders of Zimbabwe's regime have had their assets frozen and their travel restricted by Britain.
Britain will push the EU for further action against certain individuals, Brown told lawmakers.
"We do know the names of the individuals who are surrounding Mugabe at the moment, we know the names of the criminal cabal that is trying to keep him in power, and we will name those individuals and these will be part of the next stage of the sanctions," Brown said.
In a statement the England and Wales Cricket Board said the British government had given it "a clear instruction that Zimbabwe's bilateral tour scheduled under the ICC Future Tours Programme for 2009 should be cancelled".
"The ECB deplores the position in Zimbabwe and, like Cricket South Africa, finds this untenable. Therefore all bilateral arrangements are suspended with Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect," the statement said.
"The ECB...welcome the Government's decision and share the Government's concerns about the deteriorating situation and lack of human rights in Zimbabwe."
The Twenty20 World Cup, which at present includes Zimbabwe, will be staged in England next year.
Zimbabwe's opposition leader emerged briefly from his refuge at the Dutch Embassy today to call for African leaders to guide talks to end the country's crisis.
Morgan Tsvangirai said the goal of the talks would be forming a coalition transitional authority for his country.
Dialogue could not begin until there was an end to attacks on his supporters and a release of "political prisoners" including top opposition figure Tendai Biti, he added.
"What is important is that both parties must realize the country is burning and the only way is to sit down and find a way out of it," Tsvangirai told reporters at his home in Harare.
Zimbabwean Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is greeted by joyful supporters as he briefly emerges from the Dutch embassy on Wednesday
Mr Mugabe is the first foreigner to be stripped of an honorary knighthood since Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, the day before his execution.
The move follows growing calls for Mr Mugabe to have the honour removed. Foreign Office Minister Mark Malloch Brown has previously insisted that now was not the right time.
The Foreign Office spokesman said today: "Our focus has been on improving the situation for ordinary Zimbabweans on the ground and it remains so.
"But we can no longer justify an individual who is responsible for a consistent campaign of human rights violations and the disregard for the democratic process retaining an honour.
"As international and regional leaders have said, Mugabe's actions in the run-up to the second round of elections has demonstrated his total disregard for democracy and human rights.
"His actions have proved beyond all argument that he is not worthy to retain this honour."
Mr Mugabe's appointment as an honorary Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Bath occurred during his state visit to the UK in 1994.
"The honour was given when conditions in Zimbabwe were very different," the Foreign Office spokesman added.
"It is a sad fact that, since 1994, Mugabe has overseen the collapse of Zimbabwe and brought misery to millions."
The Foreign Office also tonight urged against all travel to Zimbabwe.
Its advice was previously against all but essential travel to the southern African country.
"There has been a marked increase in violence in Zimbabwe in the run-up to the second round of the Presidential election on June 27 and the situation there remains highly unpredictable, volatile and could deteriorate quickly, without warning," it said in a statement.
"We judge that for the time being British nationals should avoid all travel to Zimbabwe."
dailymail.co.uk
The Queen has stripped Mugabe of his knighthood over his disregard for democracy. This follows Britain banning the Zimbabwe cricket team playing in England in May next year against the England&Wales team, and Zimbabwe being thrown out of the Commonwealth until it gets its act together.
Mugabe stripped of his knighthood after Queen gives her backing as Britain starts to cut ties with Zimbabwean regime
By Daily Mail Reporter
25th June 2008
Daily Mail
- Brown threatens to name and shame the 'criminal cabal' propping Mugabe's regime up
- England & Wales Cricket Board agrees to ban Zimbabwe from Twenty20 World Cup tour in England after pressure from the Government
- Zimbabwe Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says the country is 'burning' as he begs the international community to intervene
The Foreign Office said Mugabe's knighthood was anulled with the Queen's backing over his "abuse of human rights" and "abject disregard for democracy".
Robert Mugabe pictured with the Queen during his state visit to Britain in 1994, when he was awarded the honorary knighthood
Prime Minister Gordon Brown threatened to name and shame the "criminal cabal" keeping Mugabe in power, as Zimbabwe Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai emerged briefly from his refuge in the Dutch embassy in Harare to warn the country was "burning" and beg the international community to intervene.
Though a group of southern African nations held an emergency meeting today to discuss the crisis, South Africa president Thabo Mbeki - the leader charged with the task of negotiating a solution - refused to attend.
Mr Brown revealed also today that he was seeking to block a Zimbabwe cricket tour of England planned for next year.
The Queen approved the annulment of Mr Mugabe's knighthood - awarded in 1994 - on the recommendation of Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "This action has been taken as a mark of revulsion at the abuse of human rights and abject disregard for the democratic process in Zimbabwe over which President Mugabe has presided."
"We are preparing intensified sanctions - financial and travel sanctions - against named members of the Mugabe regime," Mr Brown said during his weekly question-and-answer session in the House of Commons.
The ball's on the slates: Robert Mugabe kicks a football in a crowd of party supporters at a campaign rally held in Banket
The Foreign Office and a European Union list confirm that 131 individuals connected to Mugabe's regime are currently the subject of EU travel and financial sanctions, under EU measures drafted in 2002.
Beyond that, Downing Street office said an unspecified number of other leaders of Zimbabwe's regime have had their assets frozen and their travel restricted by Britain.
Britain will push the EU for further action against certain individuals, Brown told lawmakers.
"We do know the names of the individuals who are surrounding Mugabe at the moment, we know the names of the criminal cabal that is trying to keep him in power, and we will name those individuals and these will be part of the next stage of the sanctions," Brown said.
In a statement the England and Wales Cricket Board said the British government had given it "a clear instruction that Zimbabwe's bilateral tour scheduled under the ICC Future Tours Programme for 2009 should be cancelled".
"The ECB deplores the position in Zimbabwe and, like Cricket South Africa, finds this untenable. Therefore all bilateral arrangements are suspended with Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect," the statement said.
"The ECB...welcome the Government's decision and share the Government's concerns about the deteriorating situation and lack of human rights in Zimbabwe."
The Twenty20 World Cup, which at present includes Zimbabwe, will be staged in England next year.
Zimbabwe's opposition leader emerged briefly from his refuge at the Dutch Embassy today to call for African leaders to guide talks to end the country's crisis.
Morgan Tsvangirai said the goal of the talks would be forming a coalition transitional authority for his country.
Dialogue could not begin until there was an end to attacks on his supporters and a release of "political prisoners" including top opposition figure Tendai Biti, he added.
"What is important is that both parties must realize the country is burning and the only way is to sit down and find a way out of it," Tsvangirai told reporters at his home in Harare.
Zimbabwean Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is greeted by joyful supporters as he briefly emerges from the Dutch embassy on Wednesday
Mr Mugabe is the first foreigner to be stripped of an honorary knighthood since Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, the day before his execution.
The move follows growing calls for Mr Mugabe to have the honour removed. Foreign Office Minister Mark Malloch Brown has previously insisted that now was not the right time.
The Foreign Office spokesman said today: "Our focus has been on improving the situation for ordinary Zimbabweans on the ground and it remains so.
"But we can no longer justify an individual who is responsible for a consistent campaign of human rights violations and the disregard for the democratic process retaining an honour.
"As international and regional leaders have said, Mugabe's actions in the run-up to the second round of elections has demonstrated his total disregard for democracy and human rights.
"His actions have proved beyond all argument that he is not worthy to retain this honour."
Mr Mugabe's appointment as an honorary Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Bath occurred during his state visit to the UK in 1994.
"The honour was given when conditions in Zimbabwe were very different," the Foreign Office spokesman added.
"It is a sad fact that, since 1994, Mugabe has overseen the collapse of Zimbabwe and brought misery to millions."
The Foreign Office also tonight urged against all travel to Zimbabwe.
Its advice was previously against all but essential travel to the southern African country.
"There has been a marked increase in violence in Zimbabwe in the run-up to the second round of the Presidential election on June 27 and the situation there remains highly unpredictable, volatile and could deteriorate quickly, without warning," it said in a statement.
"We judge that for the time being British nationals should avoid all travel to Zimbabwe."
dailymail.co.uk
