/ 17 April 2008

Ship with arms for Zim cleared by customs

A Chinese ship carrying a consignment of weapons destined for Zimbabwe was cleared through customs at Durban on Wednesday, police and transport officials said.

“There are arms on the vessel and the ship is on the outer anchorage of the port and it’s been docked here since April 14,” Nicholas Gunther of the police explosives unit in Durban told the South African Pres Association.

A transport spokesperson later confirmed that the An Yue Jiang, which was initially denied entry for having incorrect paperwork, had been cleared through customs.

International sanctions imposed by Western countries against Zimbabwe include a ban on weapons sales to the country.

In February a report adopted by the foreign affairs commission of the European Parliament urged the European Union to put pressure on China to stop delivering weapons to African countries, naming Zimbabwe in particular.

Zimbabwe is currently gripped by tensions resulting from the failure by the electoral commission to release the results of the March 29 presidential election. — AFP