Thug Mugabe Seethes Over EU Criticism

Poor Robert Mugabe. This stain on humanity takes umbrage with European leaders having issue with his brutal dictatorship, which has left Zimbabwe in economic ruin.

Maybe he should take it up with the UN High Commissioner for the Personally Aggrieved.

Defiant Mugabe tells Europe he won't be lectured

A defiant Robert Mugabe told European leaders on Sunday he will not be lectured on how to rule Zimbabwe, hitting back at the German chancellor and other EU leaders who accused him of ignoring human rights.

Mugabe raised his fist in defiance, smiling widely, when asked by Reuters what message he wanted to send Europe on the second and final day of an EU-Africa summit.

"On human rights and good governance, Africa sets its own agenda, of its own free will," Zimbabwe's controversial president said, as quoted by two EU diplomats who listened to his speech to the first Europe-Africa summit in seven years.

The West and rights groups accuse Mugabe of wide-spread human rights violations and wrecking his country's economy but he is viewed as an independence hero by many in Africa.

The Southern Africa Development Community has tried to mediate between Zimbabwe's government and the opposition.

Britain's Gordon Brown boycotted the meeting to protest Mugabe's participation, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel challenged the summit on Saturday to confront human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, saying: "the situation of Zimbabwe is damaging the image of the new Africa."

But Mugabe was quoted by EU diplomats as saying: "Does the German chancellor and the other pro-Gordon Brown people really believe they know better than SADC and the African Union, we have to fight this arrogance."

How anyone with decency can support this thug is beyond comprehension. After ignoring abuses in Zimbabwe for many years, at least Europe is speaking out more forcefully. In the end, until this tyrant is dead or out of power, his country has little hope.

More here and here.

Inflation in Zimbabwe is now the highest in the world at nearly 8,000 percent and Mugabe was also heavily criticised by the West earlier this year when his security forces assaulted opposition leaders.

However Mugabe said Africa did not need lectures from Europeans given that democracy only came to his continent once the era of colonialism was ended.

"Why is the prime minister of Britain not here? Because he has his spokespeople in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. These are his megaphones," he said.

"They spoke yesterday, not from their own own hearts, but what their own friend, master and ally in Number 10 Downing Street (the British premier's office) would be pleased to hear."

Mugabe, in power in the former British colony since independence 27 years ago, was attending the summit despite an EU travel ban imposed after he allegedly rigged his 2002 re-election.

Previously on Mugabe.