EDITORIAL COMMENT: Trump should heed President’s advice Mr Robert Mugabe
President Mugabe

President Mugabe

PRESIDENT Mugabe’s condemnation of US President Donald Trump’s threats of war during Tuesday’s address at the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly should be hailed as the US leader’s words pose a threat to international peace.

In his maiden speech at the UN General Assembly, Mr Trump shocked world leaders when he threatened to obliterate North Korea should his country feel that the Asian nation poses a threat to its security.

“The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea,” said Mr Trump whose approach to international politics has consistently been in contravention to the tenets of diplomacy.

“Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully, this will not be necessary.”

President Mugabe joined other leaders, albeit with the most solid message, in condemning Mr Trump’s trigger happy approach to the North Korean issue and counselling that the US leader should stick to the principles of dialogue enshrined in the UN Charter.

“Some of us were,” said President Mugabe pausing for emphasis, “embarrassed, if not frightened, by what appeared to be the return of the biblical giant Goliath. Are we having a return of Goliath to our midst, who threatens the extinction of other countries?

“And may I say to the United States President, Mr Trump, please blow your trumpet — blow your trumpet in a musical way towards the values of unity, peace, cooperation, togetherness, dialogue, which we have always stood for and which are well-writ in our very sacred document, the Charter of the United

Nations,” said President Mugabe to a rapturous applause from delegates.

“Upon those values, each nation can build its greatness including the United States and its greatness, the greatness in recognising those values, unity, peace, cooperation, dialogue, and togetherness that we would want to be guided by the United States and not by the promise of our damnation.”

Most critically, President Mugabe sent a clear message to Mr Trump that he must not abuse the might of his country to bully sovereign nations through of extermination.

“Damnation we will always resist no matter whence it comes, we have resisted it when it was in the form of imperialism as we fought for our own independence, our own culture, our own sovereignty to be masters of our own destiny that’s why we call ourselves free today, it is because the monster of imperialism was defeated by us,” he said.

“Bring us another monster by whatever name, he will suffer the same consequences.”

In his speech, President Mugabe not only proved why he is revered worldwide as a champion of self-determination, but also exhibited remarkable principle in standing up to the most powerful country in the world when other lily-livered leaders would opt to look away.

A seasoned politician, President Mugabe taught Mr Trump a few but very critical lessons in diplomacy and in conducting oneself at the international stage, reminding the US leader that its economic and military might is not justification to act outside the confines of the UN Charter.

The smooth interaction of states in the international arena can only be achieved through peaceful cooperation and not bully tactics by trigger happy countries who believe that they are the big brother or self-anointed overseers of the international system.

The President also chided Mr Trump and the US for reneging on the Paris Agreement to combat the effects of climate change.

“Climate change is a present reality and so are its effects and impacts. Climate change is global, we cannot remain silent when our major economic power in the world or any other state for that matter decides to abandon the Paris Climate Change Agreement and that is the United States, the great United States, Mr Trump’s United States,” said President Mugabe.

“Let us work together, climate change is a reality. It is vital that we all play our part in keeping with the provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in order to halt the inexorable march towards the destruction of that upon which our own existence depends.”

If Mr Trump believed that his country could willy-nilly flex its muscle to cow other countries into submission, then President Mugabe’s speech at the UNGA72 was an emphatic reminder that no country would subordinate its sovereignty to the other no matter how powerful they are.

And which better venue for such a strong resistance that Mr Trump’s own backyard, New York, the very heart of the United States of America.

International media also reacted to President Mugabe’s speech with even his most fierce critics marvelling at the stance he took against the bullish Mr Trump widely viewed a ticking time bomb with the highest propensity to land the world into untold chaos.

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