April 30, 2002

Ambassador Richard Williamson, U.S. representative for special political affairs to the United Nations, told Mugabe on Monday the March 9-11 election was not free and fair and Harare's intimidation of the media was unacceptable, the diplomats said.

The 15-member Council mission is touring the region in a bid to end the nearly four-year-old war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The mission made a brief stop in Harare for talks with Mugabe, who sent thousands of troops to Congo in 1998 to prop up the Kinshasa government against a rebellion.

During their meeting with the Zimbabwean leader, Williamson told Mugabe that his comments were a message from the U.S. government, the diplomats said.

Mugabe reacted in an exchange that lasted for several minutes, and pointed out that he did not accept President George W. Bush's controversial poll win in U.S. Extract: CNN

World Reacts to US Elections

TWO-FACED BUSH OBSERVER UK - MAR 17, 2002
George W. Bush says that he is not able to recognise the election in Zimbabwe. How can he fail to? Were no black voters denied the vote in Florida? Why is the Mugabe election a fix and the Bush election not?