WASHINGTON – United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said Zimbabwe’s current leadership has an opportunity to set the country on a different path after almost four decades of plunder by the late Robert Mugabe.
The U.S. remembers Mugabe for the alleged slaughter of political opponents in the 1980s, abusing the opposition and civil society, massive corruption and impoverishing Zimbabweans. Writing on Twitter, Pompeo said:
During nearly four decades in power, Robert Mugabe devastated a country with enormous potential.
He slaughtered political opponents in the 1980s, used security forces to abuse the opposition and civil society, enriched his family and inner circle through massive corruption and catastrophically mismanaged the economy, turning the region’s breadbasket into one where much of the population requires international food assistance.
Zimbabweans have long deserved better and their leadership has an opportunity to set the country on a much different path.
We will continue to stand with the Zimbabwean people in their efforts to forge a better, more prosperous future.
Mugabe resigned in November 2017 following a takeover of the state by the country’s military. He later revealed that he resigned in order to avert a potentially bloody civil war following a period under house arrest by soldiers.
He passed away on Friday morning in Singapore where he had been receiving medical care for an extended period of time.
