Source: Zimbabwe summons U.S. ambassador over comments on Floyd protests – Reuters
Protests demanding justice for Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis after a policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, have spread across the United States and turned violent.
Robert O’Brien, President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, told ABC news in an interview on Sunday that countries such as Russia, China, Iran and Zimbabwe were adversaries that were using the unrest to stoke tensions in the United States.
Washington has frequently criticised Zimbabwe’s human rights record in the past, including crackdowns on opposition protests.
In a statement, Zimbabwe’s Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo said O’Brien’s accusations were “false and deeply damaging to a relationship already complicated due to years of prescriptive megaphone diplomacy and punitive economic sanctions”.
“We take due note of the measures deployed by the U.S. authorities to deal with the challenges currently confronting them. At the same time, we recall the harsh U.S. criticism and condemnation of our own response to multiple instances of illegal, violent civil unrest,” said Moyo.
In a statement in response, Nichols, the U.S. ambassador, said the United States would continue to speak out against injustices at home and abroad.
COMMENTS
Perhaps Zanu could explain the difference between them sending War Vets to loot the farms and burn down the houses like they did at Martin Olds’ farm, when they sent the veterans to assassinate Olds? I see no difference between what Zanu and Scoones have encouraged in Zimbabwe and what is going on in the USA today? Murder, looting and arson? Are the looters and arsonists in the USA from Zanu headquarters? Zanu headquarters burnt down Olds’ homestead after the murder, burnt down Freeth’s home and also Roy Bennet’s home in Chimanimani. Now Zanu have taken to burning down Plumtree School and even the Coach House at Matopos Research Station which was a national monument. Killing 25 000 innocent civilians in Matabeleland, stealing the hard currency in the banks, and now ED is even selling COVID 19 donations to the poor people for US$1 million to get more money. Enough is never enough for these people?