London | Sunday
BRITAIN’S Queen Elizabeth II is to discuss the escalating crisis in Zimbabwe this weekend at her annual meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, British media reported on Sunday.
According to The Mail on Sunday newspaper, the queen is understood to be concerned that growing violence in the former British colony will overshadow next month’s Commonwealth leaders’ summit.
The newspaper says President Robert Mugabe’s campaign against white farmers will make him an unpopular guest at the meeting in Brisbane, Australia.
Blair travelled on Saturday to Balmoral Castle, the queen’s summer residence, where he will take a traditional stroll with the royal figurehead to discuss sensitive issues, which this year are expected to include Zimbabwe.
A Downing Street source told the newspaper: ”The queen, as head of the Commonwealth, takes her duties very seriously. Zimbabwe is the biggest crisis facing the organisation in some years.”
Blair is set to put forward plans which would allow the Commonwealth to punish members guilty of human rights abuses.
However, those proposals will be too late to use against Mugabe before the summit. – Sapa-AFP