/ 14 June 1999

DANES SUSPEND AID TO ZIM

DENMARK, long one of Zimbabwe’s closest allies, has suspended more than $26-million worth of aid — until Zimbabwe pulls out of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Denmark had pledged the aid to upgrade Zimbabwe’s eight airports.The Danish Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Erik Fiil, said on Thursday that the move is a protest against Zimbabwe’s continued military intervention in the DRC. Zimbabwe is estimated to have deployed about 10000 troops in the former Zaire, along with Angola and Namibia, to help President Laurent Kabila fight insurgents supported by Rwanda and Uganda.