Miliband backs tougher UN sanctions against Mugabe
Paul Lewis
July 6, 2008
The Guardian
Original Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/06/zimbabwe.southafrica2

The foreign secretary, David Miliband, today urged South Africa to support tougher UN sanctions against Robert Mugabe's regime, amid signs Zimbabwe's neighbour will continue to resist strong measures.
Speaking today while visiting a Johannesburg church that shelters Zimbabwean refugees, Miliband said the international community should unite behind a tough, strong, clear [UN] security council resolution calling for international sanctions against Mugabe.
I've seen the human toll and the human face of the catastrophe, he said, calling for a clear mix of diplomacy and sanctions.
South Africa has indicated that a US-drafted resolution to intensify sanctions against Mugabe and his officials could jeopardise efforts by the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, to mediate between Mugabe and his rival Morgan Tsvangirai.
The resolution, backed by Britain, would require nations to freeze the financial assets of Mugabe and 11 of his officials, and restrict their travel to within Zimbabwe.
Mbeki made a brief unannounced visit to Zimbabwe on Saturday. His spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, said the president met with Mugabe and not with Tsvangirai himself, but with Arthur Mutambara, the leader of a small faction of Tsvangirai's MDC party.

Tsvangirai accuses Mbeke of siding with Mugabe. Miliband said he supported Tsvangirai's calls for the African Union to appoint a mediator to work alongside Mbeki. The foreign secretary said targeted UN sanctions would spare the majority of Zimbabweans, already suffering in a collapsed economy, and could result in those closest to Mugabe pressuring him to yield.
Mugabe has said he will enter talks only if he is recognised as his country's legitimate leader.
He held on to power last week after winning a rigged run-off election. The opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, withdrew from the ballot after declaring that a free and fair poll was impossible.
Mugabe was declared the winner on June 29 and took the oath of office for a sixth term within hours of the release of results.
During today's visit by Miliband, around 2,000 Zimbabweans were sheltering in the Central Methodist Church's hallways, stairwells and storerooms. This represented double the usual number. Church officials said despair over their country's situation was bringing more people crossing the border. Others already in South Africa were arriving having fled areas where they had been attacked as immigrants for taking jobs and housing.
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This article was first published on http://www.guardian.co.uk/ guardian.co.uk on Sunday July 06 2008. It was last updated at 13:39 on July 06 2008.