Zimbabwe's army is on manoeuvres

Sonic67

A herc, a company of troops, some Bedfords and some SLRs and we could have that place.

Zimbabwe crisis: Army takes over - Mugabe 'detained' - Army takes control in Zimbabwe

EarthRod

...At last.

Jezza99

I can't believe he has lasted so long, he makes Saddam & Co look like pussycats.

Enki

I wonder if Nicholas Soames Conservative MP is aghast at these events, only last month he was on a very private meeting with Robert Mugabe.
Mid Sussex MP defends meeting with Robert Mugabe

Mr Mugabe went as far as stating this was begining of a new open relationship with the UK.
Robert Mugabe claims thaw in relations with Britain after meeting with Sir Nicholas Soames


Kate Howey  "You can't have a private visit which is then front page of the newspapers in Zimbabwe". and added meeting Robert Mugabe,  "pander to the vanity of a wily and ruthless dictator"

Soames defends meeting with Mugabe


Guess the caption. Mr Soames -  no no please dont take the  picture...
                                                                       

Jezza99

Someone else who doesn't read their own links:

“Sir Nicholas Soames was visiting Zimbabwe at the invitation of the British Ambassador to take part in the embassy’s commemorations of the First World War, to visit the Commonwealth war graves in Harare, to meet veterans of the British Army, Navy and Air Force, to meet representatives of the farmers who have had their land confiscated, British overseas service pensioners, conservationists and the extensive DFID projects in the country. “Sir Nicholas, at his own instigation, was able to meet President Mugabe and to do so since Sir Nicholas’s father, the late Lord Soames, had been the Governor of Southern Rhodesia and had supervised the elections and the handover 37 years ago. “No officials were present on either side and Sir Nicholas was able to make a number of important points to Mr Mugabe about our grave concerns over many outstanding governance issues.”

Enki

Now now, go straight to the horse’s mouth, rather than spin...

Radio 4, Sir Nicholas said: “I met him purely and entirely in a personal capacity'.

Read more at: Mid Sussex MP defends meeting with Robert Mugabe

So what is it, official invitation from 'British Ambassador' or personal capacity?  And Can a UK politician have a private meeting with a dictator considering the historical context?(Waits for more confabulating waffle)

Jezza99

Would that be the "confabulating waffle" from your own link ? The quote I posted from your own link explains it quite clearly. Oh dear.

Enki

Also from my link- Radio 4, Sir Nicholas said:
“I met him purely and entirely in a personal capacity"
blah blah

Jezza99

Which is exactly what the quote in your link explains. Blah blah. It's really not difficult to understand. Use a different translator, maybe?

“Sir Nicholas Soames was visiting Zimbabwe at the invitation of the British Ambassador to take part in the embassy’s commemorations of the First World War, to visit the Commonwealth war graves in Harare, to meet veterans of the British Army, Navy and Air Force, to meet representatives of the farmers who have had their land confiscated, British overseas service pensioners, conservationists and the extensive DFID projects in the country. “Sir Nicholas, at his own instigation, was able to meet President Mugabe and to do so since Sir Nicholas’s father, the late Lord Soames, had been the Governor of Southern Rhodesia and had supervised the elections and the handover 37 years ago. “No officials were present on either side and Sir Nicholas was able to make a number of important points to Mr Mugabe about our grave concerns over many outstanding governance issues.”

EarthRod

Have to be careful here - Jeremy's meetings with Sein Fein might now be defended by @Jezza99.