Blair calls for Africa to apply pressure

BRITAIN/ZIMBABWE: British prime minister Tony Blair urged African leaders yesterday to pressurise President Robert Mugabe and…

BRITAIN/ZIMBABWE:British prime minister Tony Blair urged African leaders yesterday to pressurise President Robert Mugabe and said: "It is tragic for the reputation of Africa when Zimbabwe is allowed to remain in the state that it is," he said.

Britain and the US have called for more sanctions against Mr Mugabe's government because of a crackdown on opposition leaders and the economic crises.

"Let's be very clear: the solution to Zimbabwe ultimately will not come simply through the pressure applied by Britain. That pressure has got to be applied within Africa, in particular within the African Union," Mr Blair said.

"We will continue to do all we can to make sure that Africa realises this is the responsibility of Africa as well as the Zimbabwean government."

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London and Washington said they would keep up the pressure despite threats to throw out their ambassadors. Mr Blair said Britain would continue to push the EU to widen the sanctions it introduced in 2002. He said it would seek to extend the asset freezes and travel bans "as far as we can".

London is also seeking action in the UN Security Council and the United Nations human rights commission. Mr Blair will be urging partners there to make strong statements against the situation which he termed "appalling, disgraceful and utterly tragic for the people of Zimbabwe".

"The most important thing for us is to make sure that those other African countries, particularly those in the neighbourhood of Zimbabwe, do everything they possibly can to make it clear that this is a disaster not just for the people of Zimbabwe, but for the reputation of good governance in Africa," Mr Blair said. - (Reuters)