/ 10 November 2005

Zimbabwe government reprimands US envoy

United States envoy to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell has gotten off with a warning after raising the ire of his host country, Zimbabwe’s Herald Online reported on Thursday.

It said the Zimbabwean government had summoned and warned him not to interfere in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs, failure of which could result in him being thrown out of the country.

Initial indications were that Dell might be expelled without a warning.

The Herald said Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi summoned the American ambassador on Thursday to reprimand him.

Mumbengegwi said he told Dell the Zimbabwean government took serious exception to his conduct.

”I reiterated that the government will take stern measures against diplomats who abuse their diplomatic privilege,” the minister told reporters in Harare.

”The ministry of foreign affairs, I stated, took great exception at that conduct and Zimbabwe will not hesitate to invoke appropriate provisions of the Vienna Convention [on diplomatic relations], should at any time in future the United States ambassador again act in violation of the laws of the country.”

In a speech at the United Methodist Church-run Africa University in Mutare last week, Dell said economic challenges facing Zimbabwe were as a result of ”corrupt rule” and not economic sanctions.

He repeated his criticism on Friday, saying ”bad economic policies” pursued by the government made it difficult to address the HIV/Aids pandemic in Zimbabwe.

Dell first annoyed the authorities last month when he strayed into a security zone in Harare’s botanical gardens and was detained by soldiers.

This, Mumbengegwi said, was a flagrant violation of the laws of Zimbabwe. — Sapa