Howlingwolf
06-06-2008, 09:36 AM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/2079956/British-and-US-diplomats-attacked-in-Zimbabwe.html
British and US diplomats attacked in Zimbabwe
Last Updated: 3:51PM BST 05/06/2008
British and American diplomats have been attacked in Zimbabwe while trying to investigate political violence, the US embassy has said.
Embassy spokesman Paul Engelstad said the group was being held after being stopped at a roadblock in a rural area north of Harare.
The American ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, was quoted by Reuters as saying that their detention was part of a plot to intimidate foreign diplomats that was coming “directly from the top” of President Robert Mugabe’s regime.
He said two US vehicles and a vehicle from the British High Commission were in the town of Bindura, about 28 miles north of the capital, Harare, when they were stopped by a group of police, soldiers and war veterans.
Mr McGee - who was not in the convoy - told CNN: "Police put up a roadblock, stopped the vehicles, slashed the tyres, reached in and grabbed telephones from my personnel, and the war veterans threatened to burn the vehicles with my people inside unless they got out and accompanied police to a station nearby.
The Foreign Office said it was investigating the reports. No details of injuries or who was involved in the incident were released.
Zimbabwe police detained US and British embassy staff at a roadblock on Thursday after they visited victims of political violence, a US embassy spokesman said.
"They are still holding five Americans, two Zimbabwean staff and four Britons, almost five hours after the incident. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs promised to send staff to get our people out, but they are still being held at the roadblock," spokesman Mark Weinburg said.
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena denied security agents had threatened the diplomats, saying instead police were trying to rescue them from a threatening mob.
"It's unfortunate when diplomats behave like criminals and distort information," Bvudzijena said. "It is a very sad situation."
The reports came a day after the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, was detained for several hours by police. Mr Tsvangirai and Mr Mugabe face a presidential election run-off in three week.
British and US diplomats attacked in Zimbabwe
Last Updated: 3:51PM BST 05/06/2008
British and American diplomats have been attacked in Zimbabwe while trying to investigate political violence, the US embassy has said.
Embassy spokesman Paul Engelstad said the group was being held after being stopped at a roadblock in a rural area north of Harare.
The American ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, was quoted by Reuters as saying that their detention was part of a plot to intimidate foreign diplomats that was coming “directly from the top” of President Robert Mugabe’s regime.
He said two US vehicles and a vehicle from the British High Commission were in the town of Bindura, about 28 miles north of the capital, Harare, when they were stopped by a group of police, soldiers and war veterans.
Mr McGee - who was not in the convoy - told CNN: "Police put up a roadblock, stopped the vehicles, slashed the tyres, reached in and grabbed telephones from my personnel, and the war veterans threatened to burn the vehicles with my people inside unless they got out and accompanied police to a station nearby.
The Foreign Office said it was investigating the reports. No details of injuries or who was involved in the incident were released.
Zimbabwe police detained US and British embassy staff at a roadblock on Thursday after they visited victims of political violence, a US embassy spokesman said.
"They are still holding five Americans, two Zimbabwean staff and four Britons, almost five hours after the incident. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs promised to send staff to get our people out, but they are still being held at the roadblock," spokesman Mark Weinburg said.
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena denied security agents had threatened the diplomats, saying instead police were trying to rescue them from a threatening mob.
"It's unfortunate when diplomats behave like criminals and distort information," Bvudzijena said. "It is a very sad situation."
The reports came a day after the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, was detained for several hours by police. Mr Tsvangirai and Mr Mugabe face a presidential election run-off in three week.