Updated 2 June 2020 at 12:41 IST
Zimbabwe summons US envoy after White House staffer accuses it amid George Floyd's death
Zimbabwe has summoned the US ambassador to a meeting over comments by a White House official suggesting Zimbabwe is trying to foment unrest in the US
- World News
- 2 min read
Zimbabwe has summoned the US ambassador in Harare for a meeting over comments by a White House official suggesting Zimbabwe is among "foreign adversaries" that could face retaliation for trying to foment unrest in the US over the death of George Floyd, a black man who pleaded for air as a police officer pressed a knee into his neck, eventually killing him.
Zimbabwe summons US Ambassador
US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, in an interview with ABC news network said that Zimbabwe is one of several "foreign adversaries" - including China and Russia - he suggested were taking advantage of the protests in the US to "sow discord and to try and damage our democracy. So there will be a response and it will be proportional, but this is not something that - that our adversaries are going to get away with for free," O'Brien said.
In a statement, Zimbabwe’s Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo said O’Brien’s accusations were “false and deeply damaging to a relationship already complicated due to years of prescriptive megaphone diplomacy and punitive economic sanctions. We take due note of the measures deployed by the U.S. authorities to deal with the challenges currently confronting them. At the same time, we recall the harsh U.S. criticism and condemnation of our own response to multiple instances of illegal, violent civil unrest."
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George Floyd's death
46-year-old George Floyd suffered a cardiac arrest while being restrained by Minneapolis police, the post mortem report found. The report stated that Floyd died as "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression". A video went viral in which a white police officer is seen kneeling on Floyd's neck despite Floyd's continuous plea stating that he could not breathe. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter and is scheduled to appear in court this week. Three other police officers have been fired.
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For six consecutive days, there have been widespread protests around the United States, with many cases of looting and burning stores and establishments as well. Tensions and violence continue to escalate in many areas including outside White House, with protesters demanding justice for Georgy Floyd and his family.
Published By : Digital Desk
Published On: 2 June 2020 at 12:41 IST