Zimbabwe condemns G8 sanctions move

Zimbabwe denounced the Group of Eight rich nations' support for sanctions on its officials on Wednesday as part of a colonial and racist effort led by Britain and the US to install a puppet government.

A draft UN resolution calling for sanctions on President Robert Mugabe's government would include an arms embargo and financial and travel restrictions on 14 officials.

"We condemn this colonial and racist campaign against our country and government, but we are also very cognisant that it is Britain and the US who are leading this campaign whose ultimate goal is to have their puppets in power," Zimbabwean Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said.

The two Western allies successfully lobbied their G8 partners at a summit this week to back sanctions on Zimbabwe's leadership for holding a violent June 27 Presidential poll boycotted by opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai.

They say Mugabe's re-election was a sham and want the 15-nation UN Security Council to also punish the 84-year-old ruler. Washington and other Western capitals are pushing for the council to vote for sanctions this week.

"There should be no safe haven and no hiding place for the criminal cabal that now make up the Mugabe regime," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told a news conference at the end of the G8 summit in Japan.

Mr Ndlovu said the issue did not belong in the council because Zimbabwe was not a threat to world peace and security, a line also taken by council member South Africa.

Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said during a visit to Burkina Faso - also currently on the council - that the government was ready for talks with the opposition on forming a unity government including all parties.

He also fiercely criticised talk of sanctions.

"Zimbabwe has had free and fair elections ... it's the voice of the Zimbabwean people which counts. We can't receive instructions from our former colonial masters. We are an independent country and we will never, never go back to being a colony," Mr Mumbengegwi said.

MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti said in an interview broadcast on Wednesday the party was not willing to speak to Mr Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF as long as the June 27 result stood.

"To be able to sanitise that grand robbery, that grand kleptocracy, will never happen," Mr Biti told SABC radio.

Mr Tsvangirai says the opposition will not participate in negotiations until Mr Mugabe's government halts the violence against his supporters and accepts his victory in March.