Harare, August 23 (Prensa Latina) US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols, traveled this week to Washington in what is considered here a move to evade criticism from the local government for his support of illegal demonstrations called by the opposition.
An article on the subject published by the official newspaper The Herald reveals that the diplomat met with Vice President of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Job Sikhala, whom he assured Washington would impose punitive actions against Harare if authorities arrested demonstrators.
According to the morning reports, the Ambassador is also in an uncomfortable position vis-à-vis his own government, as these contacts with the MCD were easily detected by the Zimbabwean authorities.
Nichols did not respond to a summons from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to explain why he had overstepped his diplomatic duties and interfered in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs.
According to The Herald, the official instead traveled to Washington to receive instructions on how to respond to Zimbabwean authorities, to whom his absence is very undiplomatic.
The U.S. diplomatic mission informed the Foreign Ministry that the ambassador was out of the country and that the Chargé d’Affaires was in a meeting with representatives of European countries.
On Wednesday, the government of Zimbabwe described as intrusive and critical a joint statement by diplomatic missions accredited to the country on the illegal demonstrations organized by the MCD on 16 August.
The document was supported by the heads of the missions of the European Union, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom and the ambassadors of the United States, Canada and Australia.
