Zimbabwe/China

Zambia calls for African states to ban Chinese ship

Article published on the 2008-04-22 Latest update 2008-04-24 11:35 TU

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa
(Photo: AFP)

A ship carrying arms intended for Zimbabwe is heading for Angola, amid calls by Zambia's president for regional states to stop it from entering their waters. There are fears the ammunition could be used to crack down on the Zimbabwean opposition, following parliamentary and presidential elections last month.

After the Chinese ship, An Yue Jiang, was turned away from South Africa, Mozambique's Transport Minister Paulo Zuculo said on Saturday that it is heading for Angola in the hope of docking there, .

Mozambique did not allow the ship to enter its waters. Zuculo said that the ship was carrying three million rounds of assault rifle ammunition, 3,000 mortar rounds and 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades.

Yesterday, Zambian President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, urged regional states to bar the ship from entering their waters, arguing that the arms could worsen Zimbabwe's post-election crisis. 

The ship was forced to abandon plans to unload the arms in the South African port of Durban last week, after activists won a court case which prevented it from transporting the load overland to the Zimbabwe border.

Meanwhile China is trying to prevent the controversy from adding to criticism over its human rights record and policy in Tibet ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.