Zimbabwe denies bar on Annan team

By: Stephanie Gesselle

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former US President Jimmy Carter, and Greca Machel claim they were denied in their attempts to asses the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. Aid groups have said that the area is facing a major humanitarian crisis and that nearly half of the population are in need of adequate food aid. The three individuals are members of a group called the Elders whose aim has been to tackle world conflicts. Mr. Annon told press that, "We had to cancel our visit because the government made it very clear that they will not cooperate." They reported that they had been denied visas which were necessary to gain access to the region. Carter declared that he had never been denied a visa anywhere previously. Government officials in Zimbabwe claim that they had never denied the visas but had advised the group to reschedule their trip. A Zimbabwean official said that the reason for the request of reschedule was due to Annon's group having never had any contact with the Zimbabwean government prior to the request. Officials have claimed that the aid based trip was biased. However, the three said the sole aim of the trip had been to help people in Zimbabwe, and that they had no intention of becoming involved in any political negotiations. Sources in the area have called the incident " a clear snub to the leaders".