Mugabe Escapes UN Sanctions; China, Russia Block Vote (Robin Stringer and Brian Latham)

Created by : Francis Goodwin View profile

July 12 (Bloomberg) -- Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, the country's only leader since it achieved independence in 1980, escaped United Nations sanctions for election violence as China and Russia blocked a U.S. effort to punish him.

The United States had proposed an arms embargo, as well as a travel ban and assets freeze on Mugabe and 13 of his officials to protest what was widely derided as a sham election after a campaign of violence and intimidation against his opponents.

``Those of us who stood with the people of Zimbabwe today will continue to focus on this issue and look for ways to be helpful,'' U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters yesterday after the defeat in the Security Council.

South Africa, Libya and Vietnam joined China and Russia in opposition to the U.S.-backed measure. Indonesia abstained. The nine other countries on the 15-nation Security Council -- including France, the United States. and the U.K. -- voted in favor. Burkina Faso, the West African nation with a current term on the council, voted with the United States.