Zimbabwe heads for isolation

Mugabe does not welcome criticism

Zimbabwe has moved closer to some form of sanctions following a warning by the British foreign office not to harass foreign correspondents based in Bulawayo.

This is in clear breach of the Abuja agreement which specifically referred to Zimbabwe's commitment to the freedom of expression

Jack Straw

A presidential spokesman was quoted in the government newspaper as calling six journalists "terrorists" after they reported on last week's political violence in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo.

Also on Saturday, The Herald quoted President Robert Mugabe as rejecting calls from a visiting European Union delegation to monitor next year's presidential elections.

EU officials earlier said that relations were "critical".

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the High Commission had lodged an official complaint over the "terrorist" slur.

'Demonised'

"This is in clear breach of the Abuja agreement which specifically referred to Zimbabwe's commitment to the freedom of expression," he said, referring to September's deal signed in the Nigerian capital.

This was supposed to stop political violence in Zimbabwe by solving the land question.

Michel's talks with Mugabe ended in failure

Correspondents of London's Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Times and Independent newspapers were named and these papers have urged the British Government to intervene.

They had all reported on attacks on whites and opposition activists by government supporters. An unnamed presidential spokesman said their reports were "demonising Zimbabwe, its government and people".

"We agree with President Bush... We, too, will not make any difference between terrorists and their friends and supporters."

A lawyer for one of those named described the accusation as "extremely serious".

'Not easy'

Last week, Mr Mugabe called the opposition MDC "terrorists" following the killing of a leading war veteran, Cain Nkala, in Bulawayo.

They [EU] want to come to do what and in whose capacity? I told them to keep out because some of them were our former colonizers

Robert Mugabe

Mr Straw also said that he would be consulting with his counterparts from the EU and the Commonwealth.

The British protests follow the failure of this week's talks between an EU delegation and Mr Mugabe in Harare on next year's elections.

Mr Mugabe was quoted as saying: "They [EU] want to come to do what and in whose capacity? I told them to keep out because some of them were our former colonizers."

Belgian Foreign Minister, Louis Michel agreed that the Harare talks had failed.

"There is a difference of point of view between the European Union and President Mugabe," he said. "We want to give a chance to have a positive discussion...today it was not really easy to have that discussion."

The EU has threatened to impose sanctions against Harare if it is not allowed to monitor next year's elections, in which Mr Mugabe will face his strongest-ever challenge from the MDC's Morgan Tsvangirai.

Army deployed

Three foreign correspondents have already been expelled from Zimbabwe this year and the printing press of a privately-run newspaper bombed in what the opposition say is an attempt to silence critics ahead of the poll.

BBC correspondents have been banned from Harare since July.

Nkala's killing has led to renewed political violence

Earlier this week, 18 opposition activists were arrested for trying to protest at a bill restricting the right to vote.

On Saturday, state radio said that the army was being deployed in the western district of Lupane against "political hooligans".

Lupane is in the same region as Bulawayo, where tensions have been high since Mr Nkala's killing.

Several opposition activists, including an MP have been arrested in connection with his death.