Zimbabwe arms ship headed for Angola: shipping agent

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - A Chinese ship loaded with a controversial cargo of arms intended for Zimbabwe is headed to the Angolan capital Luanda, the agent handling the ship told AFP on Tuesday.

"According to the documentation, the next calling port is Angola. This vessel is causing a lot of attention. The information is very sensitive," said Wang Kun Hui, representative of the Cosren shipping agency in Durban.

Asked where exactly in Angola the ship was headed to, Wang replied: "Luanda."

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos is a long-time ally of Zimbabwe's veteran President Robert Mugabe, who is fighting to stay in power after parliamentary and presidential elections on March 29.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080422/wl_africa_afp/zimbabwevotechinaangolaweapons;_ylt=Auf1mNCDMNRKv5a0x2RlLjq96Q8F

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China defends weapons for Zimbabwe
43 minutes ago



BEIJING (AFP) - China on Tuesday defended a cache of its weapons headed for Zimbabwe, saying it was part of normal bilateral trade, but suggested the arms might not be delivered due to problems offloading the cargo.

A Chinese ship loaded with weapons destined for Zimbabwe has highlighted Beijing's support for the increasingly isolated African regime, amid new violence surrounding elections there.

"This is normal trade in military products between the two countries," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters in Beijing. "The relevant contract was signed last year and has nothing to do with the latest situation in Zimbabwe."

Three million rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades and more than 3,000 mortar rounds and mortar tubes were among the cargo on the Chinese ship, according to the inventory published by a South Africa newspaper.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080422/wl_africa_afp/zimbabwevotechinaweaponstrade

[madrchsod]

1. now the chinese are exploiting africa`s misery...

[mainegreen]

2. Even if unloaded, it will still have to go through Botswana or Zambia to get to Zimbabwe.

I doubt Botswana will let it through.

Zambia is a different matter.