afrol News, 3 December - Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, argued that his government had never objected to hold dialogue with the United Kingdom as a solution to resolve a long running bad blood existing between the two countries' governments.

"We have never ever objected to any dialogue with the British because if we don’t talk, how do they want us to resolve this situation,” Mugabe told journalists in the capital Harare. Mugabe held talks with the Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade who flew to Zimbabwe to ease the diplomatic deadlock between Harare and London.

Wade said his mission was purely based on personal initiative, but he had discussed the issue with the British High Commissioner to Senegal before he left for Harare.

Mugabe said his government's strained relations with its former colonial power was exploded by the seizure of the white farms. He said he had told President Wade about the issues that Zimbabwe differs with the British.

"We don’t fear talking to the British, but it is the other side that fears talking to us. We don’t know how they want to resolve the problem if there is no dialogue. With Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, ideologically we were never one, but we talked."

Zimbabwean leader's language is a far cry from that of the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who threatens to boycott the European Union-Africa summit in Portugal in protest over Mugabe's attendance.

President Wade briefed Mugabe his mediation plans to douse off the standoff between London and Harare. Wade proposed the creation of a committee of five African heads of state - including himself and President Mbeki of South Africa - tasked with resolving the standoff.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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