Zimbabwe's government is reportedly warning France it has nomoral authority to criticize Zimbabwe's human rights record during Wednesday'sUnited Nations Human Rights Council's meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. Zimbabweambassador Enos Mafembe said France's role in Corsica and Rwanda's 1994genocide should prevent it from criticizing any other country's human rightsrecord. This comes after Rwanda recently accused France of complicity in the1994 genocide in which over 800,000 minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus wereslaughtered by Hutu militias, a charge Paris denies.
AmbassadorMafembe adds that France, which currently holds the presidency of the EuropeanUnion (EU), should not become what it called a mouthpiece for the British Laborregime and other racist groups. George Mkwananzi is the deputy chairperson ofthe National Constitutional Assembly. He tells reporter Peter Clottey fromSouth Africa's capital, Pretoria that Zimbabwe's rhetoric is irresponsible.
"Infact I find it quite disturbing that at a time when Zimbabwe needs to adopt aconciliatory stance in the diplomatic and international community, it hasdecided to be invective and insult people. You know if they point out thatZimbabwe's human rights record leaves a lot to be desired, there is no reasonto throw back insults to those that are condemning Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe simplyhas to correct those things that are being condemned. It is true that the humanrights record of Zimbabwe is not a good one," Mkwananzi noted.
Hedescribed Zimbabwe's statement at the UN human rights summit in Geneva asregrettable.
"Thosewere unfortunate and reckless statements to come from such a senior official.Indeed if you utter such statements, you actually alienate even those that wereintending to assist with some financial packages to rescue a battered economysuch as our economy in Zimbabwe. And it doesn't' end there. France is a memberof the EU and EU is a very influential and powerful international grouping, andfor Zimbabwe to say such a reckless statement indeed that will make thempostpone or even defer indefinitely whatever assistance they might have beencontemplating sending towards Zimbabwe," he said.
Mkwananzisaid it was high time Zimbabwe arrests its poor human rights record.
"Thereis nothing wrong with France or the world body in criticizing Zimbabwe. What isimportant and what is paramount is that Zimbabwe must begin to put its acttogether and position itself for reconstruction and reconciliation with therest of the world. And I find the statement from the ambassador quitedisturbing to say the least," Mkwananzi pointed out.