The Angolan embassy in Zimbabwe rejected on Thursday as ”completely false” reports that the Angolan government would send 3 000 police officers to Zimbabwe to bolster the security forces there.
”This information is completely false,” it said in a statement.
”It is not the custom of the Angolan government to interfere into the internal matters of other governments,” the embassy said in Harare, adding the Zimbabwean forces were ”capable enough to solve any internal issues”.
The Times in London reported on Thursday that about 2 500 Angolan paramilitary police were to be deployed in Zimbabwe to boost the security forces of President Robert Mugabe.
But the Angolan embassy denied the information ”with sadness”.
”The purpose of the visit of the minister of home affairs of the Republic of Angola to the Republic of Zimbabwe was to sign agreements of interest to both countries, such as the sharing of knowledge and experience and never for the reinforcement of police power of Zimbabwe, which we think … are capable enough to solve any internal issues.”
The embassy further sought to assure the Zimbabwean Foreign Ministry ”of its highest consideration”.
Mugabe’s government is pursuing a violent crackdown on leaders of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, which has seen several arrested and severely beaten by the security forces in recent days.
Angola and Zimbabwe are members of the Southern African Development Community and have strong bilateral political ties in spite of growing international condemnation of Zimbabwe’s political and economic down spiral under 83-year-old Mugabe, who has ruled since independence in 1980. — Sapa-AFP