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'We are surprised by what appears as Mbeki appearing to protect Mugabe while Mugabe uses violent means to fragment the opposition,' US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said.
12 July 2008
The United States on Friday accused South African President Thabo Mbeki of being, ‘out of touch with the trends inside his own country,’ following Friday's voting against a UN draft resolution imposing targeted sanctions on Zimbabwe.
US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad made the remarks after China and Russia vetoed the resolution that would have imposed a travel ban and an assets freeze on Mugabe and 13 of his cronies as well an arms embargo on the Harare regime.
South Africa, Libya and Vietnam all joined permanent members Russia and China in blocking the move despite 9 of the council's 15 members supporting it.
"We are surprised by what appears as Mbeki appearing to protect Mugabe while Mugabe uses violent means to fragment the opposition," Khalilzad said. "I think he (Mbeki) is out of touch with the trends inside his own country."
"We are concerned, but we are encouraged by the trends that we see inside South Africa," he added, a possible reference to tough talk coming from new ANC leader Jacob Zuma, now seen as heir apparent to Mbeki.
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