Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira accused the United States and Britain of backing what he called a coup d’état.
He was commenting on the proposed week-long anti-government demonstration that had been called on by the Movement for Democratic Change to force President Robert Mugabe to step down.
“An illegal assembly organizing military coup cannot be called peaceful and democratic. It is shocking that the Government of Britain and US should support such a demonstration,” Shamuyarira said.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 03HARARE1095, MEDIA REPORT U. S./UK UNDER FIRE FROM ZANU PF;
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS HARARE 001095
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS, AF/S RAYNOR
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: N/A
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT U. S./UK UNDER FIRE FROM ZANU PF;
HARARE
ZANU-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity, Nathan
Shamuyarira, has accused the United States and Britain of
backing week-long mass protests, called by the opposition
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to pressure Robert
Mugabe to a negotiating table. According to an article
carried on page 2 in the June 2 edition of the government-
controlled daily “The Herald,” under headline “ZANU-PF
deplores U. S., UK,” Shamuyaririra – in a statement issued
in Harare yesterday – said it was a shock that the U. S.
and Britain were supporting a demonstration whose intention
is to engage in a coup d’etat. “An illegal assembly
organizing military coup cannot be called peaceful and
democratic. It is shocking that the Government of Britain
and U. S. should support such a demonstration,” Shamuyarira
is quoted as saying.
SULLIVAN
(21 VIEWS)
