WRAP UN torture investigator says stopped from entering Zimbabwe; airport

(29 Oct 2009) SHOTLIST
Harare, Zimbabwe
++NIGHT SHOTS++
1. Wide exterior of Harare International Airport
2. People waiting at arrivals terminal at airport
3. Air crew coming through arrivals
4. Cameraman waiting at airport
5. Zoom out of "No Entry" sign at airport arrivals terminal
Johannesburg, South Africa
++INTERIOR SHOTS++
6. Wide of United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, at news conference
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Manfred Nowak, United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Torture:
"I indicated very clearly I have full understanding, I think that the SADC (Southern African Development Community) initiative is very important, that now to solve the political crisis is certainly the most important issue, but I think it's not a valid reason to just postpone for unlimited time, in fact then, an eight-day mission of the United Nations team that is well prepared and ready to carry out its task."
8. Cutaway of journalists
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Manfred Nowak, United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Torture:
"I think this is not the way the United Nations should be dealt with, and that is my main message also to the government. I think they have now a chance to fix it and I'm most flexible to cooperate in changing the type of activities that I do during the mission. I am most understanding and flexible, but if it turns out that the government tells me this mission cannot go ahead, then there is no postponement, that is fairly definite, as I said, unless there are major changes in the whole governmental structure and I have a totally different feeling."
10. Wide of news conference
STORYLINE
The United Nations' torture investigator said on Wednesday he was stopped by immigration authorities as he tried to enter Zimbabwe in defiance of officials who rescinded his invitation.
Manfred Nowak told The Associated Press in a mobile telephone call that officials at Harare airport had refused to allow him through even though he showed them his invitation letter from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
The actions by Zimbabwe's authorities, which told him not to come after he had flown from Vienna to Johannesburg en route to the country, underscores the government's split personality.
Tsvangirai, a longtime opposition leader, joined the government with his longtime rival Mugabe in February, but withdrew temporarily earlier this month after accusing Mugabe's party of human rights violations.
Nowak said he had planned to "investigate torture and mistreatment", and that he had intended to stay in Zimbabwe until November 4.
Speaking at a news conference in Johannesburg, earlier on Wednesday, Nowak said he was still planning to board a flight to Zimbabwe that evening, saying he had received an invitation from Tsvangirai.
The UN said it was told by Zimbabwe that it "will be unable to receive" Nowak due to meetings in the capital, Harare, involving the government and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
"I think this is not the way the United Nations should be dealt with, and that is my main message also to the government. I think they have now a chance to fix it and I'm most flexible to cooperate in changing the type of activities that I do during the mission," he said.
In a statement from Geneva, the United Nations said Nowak was to examine alleged attacks on opposition activists by supporters of President Robert Mugabe.
Nowak said he believes the last-minute refusal comes from a branch of the government not under Tsvangirai's control.
The coalition has been troubled since the day it was formed in February.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...