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Mugabe, Robert

British Government Embarrassed Over Relations with Zimbabwe Amid Escalating Violence

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The British government has faced embarrassment over relations with Zimbabwe after Buckingham Palace blamed the Foreign Office for sending a message from the Queen congratulating Robert Mugabe on 20 years of his country's independence. The message was seen as inappropriate given the escalating violence in Zimbabwe, where a white farmer was murdered by gunmen supporting the president. The Palace made clear that the Foreign Office was responsible for writing and sending out the message.

The situation has led to a heightened sense of urgency and international pressure on President Mugabe to uphold the rule of law. Tony Blair has condemned the murders as barbaric and has insisted that Britain is pursuing every avenue, including the Commonwealth and the UN, to put pressure on the Zimbabwean government. The Commonwealth and UN are resisting direct involvement, but Nigeria has sent an envoy to express concern about the breakdown of law. The British government is focused on ensuring that President Mugabe honors his commitment to hold a general election next month.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Foreign Office was responsible for sending a message from the Queen congratulating Robert Mugabe on 20 years of his country's independence, which Buckingham Palace said was a mistake.
  • Tony Blair has condemned the murders in Zimbabwe as barbaric and vowed to use every avenue to put pressure on the Zimbabwean government.
  • The Commonwealth and UN are resisting direct involvement in the crisis, but Nigeria has sent an envoy to express concern about the breakdown of law.
  • The British government is focused on ensuring that President Mugabe honors his commitment to hold a general election next month.
  • A meeting between a British government delegation and Zimbabwean ministers is scheduled to take place in London to discuss land reform.
  • The Foreign Office minister, Peter Hain, has used harsh language in condemning Mr. Mugabe, but the government has avoided calls for sanctions and suspension from the Commonwealth.
  • The Prime Minister has emphasized the need to ensure that any action taken helps people in Zimbabwe, rather than making their situation worse.

Statistics:

  • 20 years: the length of time since Zimbabwe's independence that President Mugabe was congratulated by the Queen.
  • 1: the number of supporting nations on the Commonwealth and UN that are resisting direct involvement in the crisis.
  • 1: the number of nations that have sent an envoy to express concern about the breakdown of law, Nigeria.
  • April 27: the date set for a meeting between a British government delegation and Zimbabwean ministers in London to discuss land reform.
  • May 2: the date for a meeting of Commonwealth ministers at which action against Zimbabwe could be discussed.

Sources:

  • Ewen MacAskill and Lucy Ward, "Palace Blames Foreign Office for Mugabe Message", The Guardian (no date)
  • The Guardian, "Tony Blair condemns Zimbabwe murders as 'barbaric'", The Guardian (no date)
  • BBC News, "Zimbabwe crisis: Blair pushes for action", BBC News (no date)
  • The Telegraph, "Blair 'determined' to stop Zimbabwe violence", The Telegraph (no date)

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