UNITED NATIONS — Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe slammed the United States and Europe on Friday for what he called "filthy clandestine antics" for keeping economic sanctions clamped on his authoritarian nation, even though he now presides over a coalition government.
"The Western countries, in particular the United States, and the European Union still impose illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe, to our surprise ... and refused to remove those sanctions," he said in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly.
Mugabe has sent Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the former opposition leader, to Europe and America to lobby for lifting of the sanctions and a restoration of foreign aid and investment. He's had little success.
But the European Union and other Western nations say the coalition, formed in February, has not done enough to restore the rule of law and begin democratic change, blaming Mugabe and high-level loyalists for resisting change.
Mugabe seemed baffled by the persistent embargo by the wealthy Western nations.
Zimbabwe's economic meltdown began after Mugabe ordered the seizures of thousands of white-owned commercial farms in 2000, disrupting the agriculturebased economy in the former regional breadbasket.
Front Section, Pages 10 on 09/26/2009