World food crisis

Mugabe accuses the West of using food as a political weapon

Article published on the 2008-06-03 Latest update 2008-06-03 14:23 TU

Robert Mugabe listens to a speech at the summit
(Photo: Reuters)

Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe defended his land reform programme in his address to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture summit on Tuesday, and said international sanctions have crippled his country's economy. “In retaliation for the measures we took to empower the black majority the UK has mobilised friends and allies in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand to impose illegal economic sanctions against Zimbabwe,” he said.

He continued accusing the West of trying to "effect illegal regime change" in Zimbabwe.

“Funds are being channelled through non-governmental organisations to opposition political parties, which are a creation of the West," he said. "Further, these western-funded NGOs also use food as a political weapon with which to campaign against government, especially in the rural areas.”

Mugabe is currently campaigning for re-election in a run-off election at the end of the month.

Zimbabwe is facing a serious food shortage that many countries at the conference consider to be Mugabe's fault.

His attendance at the summit, along with that of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has sparked international condemnation and protests in Italy.

However, some say that Mugabe should not be stigmatised for attending the conference.

"He has right to go and attend this kind of meeting," said Alioune Tine, secretary general of the Senegalese Human rights organisation, Raddho. "I think it is a political opportunity for the international community and other African leaders to negotiate with Mugabe and bring [him] to... leave power quiety and peacefully."