World News Story

09 January 2009 00:28 BST

Zimbabwe denies refusing Annan visa

Zimbabwean officials have denied refusing visas to former US president Jimmy Carter and former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan.

The pair of senior diplomats were hoping to visit the southern African country to assess the humanitarian needs of the country, which is suffering from inflation of over 200 million per cent.

A group called the Elders, consisting of Mr Carter, Mr Annan and Nelson Mandela's wife Graca Machel, were reportedly hoping to conduct a two-day visit but global media began reporting that they had not been granted permission to enter the country.

However, Zimbabwean foreign ministry spokesman Simbarashe Mumbengegwi denied the story, saying: "The government has not barred Mr Annan and his team from coming to Zimbabwe.

"The postponement was necessary because Mr Annan had made no prior consultations with the government of Zimbabwe regarding both the timing and programme of his proposed visit, as is the normal practice."

He added that advice had been given to Mr Annan to reschedule the trip for "a mutually agreed date in the future".

But speaking about the move in Johannesburg yesterday, Mr Annan said: "We had hoped to go to Zimbabwe this morning but we had to cancel because the government has made it clear they will not co-operate."

Mr Carter said the purpose of the visit was solely humanitarian and did not seek to intervene in negotiations on a power sharing agreement between president Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

The Nobel laureate said: "Our purpose in coming here was never to be involved in the political issues that have been so controversial in the establishment of a new government in Zimbabwe, but only to help with the humanitarian issue and we will continue to do that."

The World Health Organisation said yesterday that about 300 people had died of Cholera, a water-borne disease that had previously been eradicated in Zimbabwe.

A previous statement from the United Nations said £140 million in donations was needed to fund food aid for the country for the next six months.