The Sunday Mail
Nduduzo Tshuma in MALABO, Equatorial Guinea
President Mugabe is welcomed to Equatorial Guinea by his counterpart, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, soon after arriving in the capital, Malabo, yesterday. — Picture: Presidential Photographer Joseph Nyadzayo.
President Mugabe arrived here from Nigeria yesterday for a two-day consultative meeting ahead of an African Union Summit in South Africa.
The AU and sadc Chair was in Nigeria for President Mohammadu Buhari’s swearing in on Friday.
President Mugabe, who is accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and senior Government officials, was welcomed by his counterpart, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, at Malabo International Airport.
He inspected a guard of honour before the two leaders went to the Presidential Palace where they held hour-long deliberations.
Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba said President Mugabe was sampling opinions regarding key developments across Africa, as well as on reforms to international political and financial governance systems.
“The position of Africa is under threat, so they are sharing opinions in terms of how to strengthen the Ezulwini Consensus, which summarises the African position regarding the restructuring of the United Nations Security Council and this is likely to be a very key issue at the Johannesburg Summit,” said Mr Charamba.
Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea have very close relations, which have, in the past, seen Malabo extend energy resources to Harare.
The country was instrumental in thwarting a coup attempt on President Nguema’s government by a group of mercenaries, and Zimbabwe also deployed special security forces during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea.
President Mugabe will proceed to Sudan to witness President Omar Al-Bashir’s inauguration on Tuesday.
In Nigeria, Mr Mugabe also had a discussion with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who headed the AU election observer mission to Sudan.
