Mugabe rails at West during trade summit

Mugabe rails at West during trade summit

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By Katie Nguyen

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe celebrated a landmark agreement by Africa's biggest trade bloc on Wednesday with a favourite pastime -- attacking the West and justifying his actions.

Charged with giving a vote of thanks at the end of a meeting to approve a landmark deal on harmonised tariffs, Mugabe roused an audience of the COMESA trade bloc, poking fun at Europe which relies on imports for many of its goods.

"Where does Europe get all the cotton it wears and the tea the British call their own -- English tea? I want to know in which part of Britain tea is grown and to this day I have not found it," he said to an outburst of applause.

His critics may regard him as a pariah whose policies have ruined what was once one of Africa's most promising post-independence economies -- but Mugabe's off-the-cuff speech won boisterous clapping and laughter from many fellow Africans.

The 83-year-old was also defiant about the government's suppression of a rally in which scores of his opponents, including opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, were beaten.

"Of course the police gave it to him, they bashed him as they would anyone regardless of their status. If you challenge the police with violence, they will meet you with violence," he said.

Mugabe, whose country takes over the COMESA chairmanship next year, accused the West of taking advantage of Africa by buying its raw commodities and trying to dictate events.

"That's why we are always saying to imperialists ... keep away, we are married to Africa. Britain and Europe, you have your own territory. America, Bush, your own territory, hands off Africa. If you are friends, come with clean hands," he said - Reuters
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