Chinese weapons head to Zimbabwe

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Chinese weapons head to Zimbabwe

David Beresford in Johannesburg

April 19, 2008

Contrasts … a family in a camp after their home was burnt, allegedly by militants supportive of the President, Robert Mugabe.

Photo: AFP

A CHINESE cargo ship believed to be carrying 77 tonnes of small arms, including more than 3 million rounds of ammunition, AK47 assault rifles, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, has docked in the South African port of Durban for the transport of the weapons to Zimbabwe, the South African Government has confirmed. It claimed it was powerless to intervene as long as the ship's papers were in order.

Copies of the documentation for the Chinese ship, the An Yue Jiang, show that the weapons were shipped from Beijing to the Ministry of Defence in Harare. Headed "Dangerous goods description and container packing certificate", the document was issued on April 1, three days after Zimbabwe's election. It lists the ship's consignment as including 3.5 million rounds of ammunition for AK47 assault rifles and for small arms, 1500 40 millimetre rockets, 2500 mortar shells of 60 millimetre and 81 millimetre calibre, as well as 93 cases of mortar tubes.

The carrier is listed as the Cosco shipping company in China. South Africa's national conventional arms control committee issued a permit on Monday for the trans-shipment of the cargo from Durban to Harare.

The head of government information in South Africa, Themba Maseko, said on Thursday "it was not in a position to act unilaterally and interfere in a trade deal between two countries".

South Africa had to "tread very carefully", given the complexity of the situation in Zimbabwe, he said. South Africa was "not at all involved" in arrangements for the trans-shipment. "It's a matter between the two countries. It would be possible, but very difficult, for South Africa to start intervening and saying that we will not allow the shipment through."There was no United Nations trade embargo against the country, he said.

Details of the arms shipment emerged as Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, revealed members of the ruling ZANU-PF had been negotiating for a government of national unity days after last month's elections, but hardliners scuppered the deal.

The results of the March 29 parliamentary election have been declared, giving Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change a majority, but those for a presidential poll have not. Mr Tsvangirai says he won the presidency, but the President, Robert Mugabe, has not conceded, leaving the country in limbo.

Mr Tsvangirai told the BBC that the approach for an inclusive government came from Mr Mugabe's party.

Mr Tsvangirai said part of the deal had been that no one should lose their jobs or face prosecution. The immunity deal would include Mr Mugabe. But he said the atmosphere of the talks suddenly changed.

"The very same people who were coming to us for discussions organised the meeting and did not turn up for almost two hours, our guys left and we realised that the situation had totally changed, they were back to their plan," he said. "I am sure that the hardliners just put a stand through the military."

Mr Tsvangirai said his party had opposed pursuing retribution against Mr Mugabe and his ZANU-PF regime. But with the toll of opposition supporters injured in post-election violence rising to more than 200, he was calling for a UN tribunal to bring perpetrators of human rights abuses to justice.

Mr Tsvangirai said that the South African leader, Thabo Mbeki, accused of taking a soft line on Zimbabwe, should step down from his role mediating between the rival parties. He called on the Zambian President, Levy Mwanawasa, to lead a new effort.

Patrick Chinamasa, the justice minister in Zimbabwe, who lost his seat in the election, accused Mr Tsvangirai of treason. He said he had conspiring with the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to bring about "regime change". Treason is a capital offence.

Mr Mugabe was set yesterday to make his first keynote speech since the election at celebrations for the 28th anniversary of the country's independence.

Guardian News & Media, Reuters, Agence France-Presse

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/chinese-w...ge#contentSwap1

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