2008 Press Releases

U.S. Supports African Stance Against Arms Shipments to Zimbabwe 

United States has asked China to recall freighter

By Merle D. Kellerhals Jr. Staff Writer

Washington -- The United States does not believe that shipping Chinese arms and light weapons to Zimbabwe is in anyone's best interests, a State Department official says.

The State Department has urged countries in southern Africa not to allow a Chinese freighter to dock and offload a cargo of AK-47 assault rifles, mortars and ammunition destined for landlocked Zimbabwe, says deputy spokesman Tom Casey. And the United States has also asked the Chinese government to recall the freighter.

The Chinese freighter -– An Yue Jiang –- arrived in South Africa last week [April 13-19], but was not allowed to unload its cargo, intended for delivery to Zimbabwe. Since then, Mozambique, Angola, Tanzania and Namibia have refused to allow the cargo to be unloaded and shipped overland into Zimbabwe, according to news reports.

Zimbabwe has been embroiled in a post-election crisis since March 29, when results from the presidential and parliamentary elections were not released by the government of President Robert Mugabe. Since then, Zimbabwe's election commission has refused to release final results, and it appears that Mugabe and top opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai are facing a runoff election.

Critics have argued that a runoff election cannot be held before the original results are released to the public. Casey said April 22 that Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer is going to South Africa, Zambia and Angola to talk about bilateral issues and the current crisis in Zimbabwe.

“We don’t think it’s appropriate at this point, given the political upheaval that’s occurring in Zimbabwe, for anyone to be adding extra tinder to that situation by providing additional weapons to Zimbabwe security forces,” Casey said.

He said that China has been asked in a message delivered by U.S. diplomats in Beijing to halt the shipment and "to refrain from making additional shipments." "We have been in contact with various governments in the region, as well as with the Chinese government, on the subject of this vessel that had been attempting to deliver weapons to Zimbabwe," Casey said.

"And we're pleased to see that many countries in the region refused to either accept this vessel in their ports or to offload those weapons." And the United States is pleased that the Chinese government is saying that "the vessel may, in fact, now be recalled back to China," he said. U.S. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Howard Berman praised the African nations for blocking shipment of the small arms and light weapons to Zimbabwe, saying that "with this action, African leaders have taken a principled stand to safeguard the Zimbabwean people and to reinforce their rights."

He said that these arms could well have been used against Zimbabweans who are opposed to Mugabe and to help militias that have already been attacking villagers and destroying their homes.

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