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Mugabe should "take heed" of Middle East, warns Hague: Foreign Secretary speaks of "ambitious foreign policy" for Britain, and compares Mugabe and Gbagbo to Gaddafi. (Samira Shackle - 23 March 2011, New Statesman)

William Hague has warned that repressive African leaders will find it harder to "hide from the world" and should "take heed" of events in the Middle East. [...]

The action we have taken in Libya, authorised by the United Nations Security Council, shows that the international community does take gross violations of human rights extremely seriously.

Just as Gaddafi is an obstacle to the peaceful development of Libya, there are others who stand in the way of a brighter future for their countries. In Ivory Coast the former President, Laurent Gbagbo, has refused to concede that he lost last year's presidential election and is sanctioning attacks on defenceless civilians in a desperate attempt to cling illegitimately to power. In Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe's security forces continue to act with impunity, ramping up intimidation in order to instil fear in their opponents.

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