Britain drags Zimbabwe to UN Security Council

Britain drags Zimbabwe to UN Security Council

• China vows to block Zim entry on UN agenda

• Zimbabwe death toll rises from slum blitz

• UN chief agrees to Zimbabwe visit

• Full text of MDC's reaction to UN report

• Zimbabwe officials reject damning UN report

• Annan 'profoundly distressed' by UN report

• UN report lashes Mugabe regime

• UN report on 'clean up' sent to Mugabe

• Annan in thinly-veiled attack on Mugabe

• Zimbabwe police admit 5 killed in 'clean up'

• Mugabe denies thousands displaced

• UN official weeps at Mugabe terror

• UN envoy has 'good talks' with Mugabe

• US Secretary of State Rice says Zim situation 'tragic'

• Mugabe targets urban agriculture

• United Nations probes Zimbabwe 'clean up'

• Britain seeks UN intervention in Zimbabwe

• Archbishop Ncube calls on UN to arrest Mugabe

• US protests Zimbabwe's relection to UN rights panel

• Annan wants Zim off UN rights panel

• Black murder, white murder

• UN resolution will sober up Mugabe

• SA blocks UN resolution on Zimbabwe

• Annan in amazing blast at Mugabe

• 'All they do is drink tea' - Archbishop Ncube

• AU blasts Zim human rights abuses

• Mugabe to 'rationalise' rights groups

• Zim moves to outlaw charities

• MDC rejects government claims over AU report

• Blair urges Gaddafi to cut Mugabe ties

• IBA calls for ICC trial for Mugabe

• Massacre in Matabeleland

• Mugabe faces class lawsuit over massacres

By Staff Reporter

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THE U.N. Security Council Wednesday barely overcame objections of African members and Brazil, China and Russia to hear a briefing on evictions in Zimbabwe.

Last week Anna Tibaijuka, head of UN-HABITAT and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy, to report on the evictions, said 700,000 people were left homeless in the southern Africa nation because of the government's evictions and demolitions of illegal housing and businesses.

Britain's Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry called for Tibaijuka to brief the council and answer questions. But, Algeria, Benin and Tanzania objected, saying it was not a matter of international peace and security and should be left to the African Union to handle. China, where Zimbabwe's President Mugabe was on an extended official visit, and Russia agreed.

Brazil abstained. Diplomats said Brasilia is courting support from African nations for its quest to get a permanent seat as part of Security Council reform.

But the necessary minimum of nine members agreed and the briefing was held.

Zimbabwe's Ambassador Boniface Chidyausiku said Harare didn't feel the situation "warranted the attention it was receiving."

Mugabe is in China this week where he obtained the full support of Chinese leader Hu Jintao who has vowed to veto any UN resolution o the southern African state.

China is said to be keen to extend its tentacles across the African continent to achieve its projected domestic economic growth.

The Chinese government has agreed to prop up Mugabe's regime through a combination of financial and developmental packages in return for mining rights, according to economic commentators.

Observors say the UN report into the Zimbabwean slum blitz will not be wished away, and is likely to be revisited by the United States and Britain in a shortwhile as they seek to find a permanent solution to the Zimbabwean crisis.
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