The international community, particularly the United States of America and the United Nations Security Council are reported to be following developments in Zimbabwe keenly after a delegation of Zimbabwe military generals visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly referred to as North Korea. The UN Security Council imposed an embargo on North Korea which prohibits the exporting of virtually all North Korean products.
According to the Rodong Sinmun, a North Korean newspaper, the Zimbabwe delegation which was led by the commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ), Air Marshal Elson Moyo toured various sites in North Korea and presented a gift to the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, on behalf of General Philip Valerio Sibanda, the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
Commenting on the matter, David McGuire, a public affairs officer at the United States embassy in Harare told the Zimbabwe Independent,
We as the US have been increasing sanctions pressure on North Korea and we have been encouraging countries around the world, in conjunction with the UN Security Council resolutions, to comply with the resolutions.
I am not sure because I do not know what the delegation was doing there. Certainly, we do have questions on any kind of delegation that visits North Korea, especially wanting to know the nature of the business, what they will be doing.
The North Koreans are infamous for having trained the 5th Brigade, which has been accused of killing an estimated 20 000 people during the Gukurahundi massacres in the early years after Independence.
More: The Zimbabwe Independent
What is North Korea’s crime by the way? Can anybody please tell me why all the countries with nuclear arms intend to do with them and on who? If this world should not use nuclear then every country must comply. Terror is terror whether it is USA, Iran, Russia or North Korea. The issue of sanctions kills and destroys indirectly the same lives intended to be saved. I think sanctions should be done away with, they are equally evil.
People should learn how and when to play their cards. If we can have someone to impose sanctions on us, then that person is superior in power to us. Think about why we can not impose sanctions ourselves.
Secondly, we should know who to associate with and at which times.
The visit to any war torn area by the military personnel is normally granted by the command. We are visiting someone who has been throwing and testing missiles flying over other countries like Japan.
We are looking for means and ways to lure investors into our country and at the same time we are seen to be associating with those who are on targeted sanctions.
I think this is wrong timing. We need intelligent advisers. If we want to see baboons, we go to the mountains.
You want to salvage whatever legitimacy you can from the international community and Generals go on a trip to North Korea? ??
Mind boggling crazy shit drama!
This is just a game of chess–offensive diplomacy—by the way Zimbabwe has said it is following a policy similar to that of Switzerland where we say we do not have enemies—SPLENDID NEUTRALITY–dont sweat about it, they know exactly what they are doing and the US will be back in Zim shortly, with check-books in hand!