The dictator of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, arrived in Zimbabwe on Monday, hoping to strengthen the economic and political relations between the two countries, which are close friends of both Russia.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and hundreds of singing and cheering ruling party supporters welcomed Lukashenko at the main Robert Gabriel Mugabe airport in the capital, Harare. The leaders did not speak to reporters.
Zimbabwe’s foreign ministry said the visit was aimed at promoting “stronger cooperation in politics, economy, mining, agriculture and disaster risk management” between the two countries.
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Following Mnangagwa’s visit to Belarus’ capital Minsk in 2019, Belarus provided Zimbabwe with agricultural equipment such as tractors, combine harvesters and trucks in a deal worth ten million dollars.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, right, arrives at the Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare, Zimbabwe, January 30, 2023.
(AP Photo/Tsvangiray Mukwazhi)
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Zimbabwe, a close ally of Moscow for decades, has refused to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, instead pledging neutrality and calling for dialogue in line with the stance of many African countries. Belarus supports the Russian invasion.
Mnangagwa and Lukashenko have been accused by internal rivals and in the West of using arrests and other means to suppress dissent and keep them in power in their country – charges they deny.
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Lukashenko has been in power since 1994. His term was renewed in 2020, with the election widely condemned as a sham. The vote sparked massive protests, and Lukashenko’s government cracked down on peaceful demonstrations, with authorities arresting more than 35,000 and brutally beating thousands.