What the West thought of Mugabe

One British writer said former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was the third most hated man on earth by the West after Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Osama bin Laden of Al Qaida. His sin was taking land away from whites which was considered usurping the natural order of things where blacks were driven away from their land in the name of development.

Mugabe is dead. But here is what the West thought of him according to Wikileaks. All 624 cables.

1-How Mugabe balanced his cabinet after the 1987 unity with ZAPU

2-Tutu says Mugabe is making a cartoon of himself

3-Only a call to Mugabe by US president can stop violence- ambassador

4-Mugabe says farm invasions are “practical self-help”

5-US embassy says Mugabe is using land as a smokescreen

6-Mugabe wanted out of DRC but was not prepared to abandon Kabila

7-US embassy expected MDC to win 30 seats in 2000

8-Mugabe shifts focus from real issues to land

9-MDC expected to win at least 80 seats in 2000

10-SADC leaders pile pressure on Kabila to accept Masire as mediator

11-Mugabe, Dos Santos key to peace in DRC

12-Government shuts down private radio station

13-Chindori-Chininga says Mugabe is obsessed with land question

14-Chiwewe asks US to drop case against Mugabe

15-SADC ministers bulldoze Zimbabwe to reform troika

16-US embassy says Mugabe will not be pushed off the scene

17-Mugabe’s presidential succession race down to two runners

18-Mugabe retains troika chair

19-How Mugabe will hang on to power

20-Mudenge says Mugabe has never refused to go

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