confidentially speaking
The Africa Confidential Blog
Business as usual?
Patrick Smith
Africa Confidential has been busy investigating the effects of international sanctions on President Robert Mugabe’s regime in Zimbabwe and has uncovered a lot of hypocrisy and double standards. Although Britain has been at the forefront of diplomatic condemnations of the Mugabe regime, some of its leading financial institutions have continued to do extremely lucrative business with that regime and indeed open customer accounts for some of those officials who have been accused of heinous human rights abuses. As Africa Confidential’s investigations have proceeded, mainstream newspapers have published our findings. Last year it was the Observer (Barclays' millions help to prop up Mugabe regime), this year, it is the Daily Telegraph (Barclays accused of giving Robert Mugabe 'financial lifeline') and the Independent (Standard Chartered at centre of Zimbabwe sanctions inquiry). Remember, you heard it first here.