Zimbabwe pushes on with controversial demolitions, makes UN deal with China News
Zimbabwe pushes on with controversial demolitions, makes UN deal with China

[JURIST] Despite UN opposition [JURIST report], Zimbabwe continued its controversial demolition program on Wednesday, bulldozing a squatter township as riot police kept residents and observers out of the ruins. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe [Wikipedia profile] says the UN report [PDF text] condemning "Operation Drive Out Trash" (sometimes translated as "Operation Restore Order"), which has left nearly 700,000 homeless, was biased against his country [JURIST report]. Meanwhile, Mugabe Wednesday was in China, a key business partner for Zimbabwe. China is expected to use its veto power on the UN Security Council to prevent any censure of Zimbabwe for the urban renewal plan, which Mugabe says is aimed at reducing crime. Opponents say the country cannot afford the cost of restructuring after the demolitions. AP has more.