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02/21/2006:

"Africa needs more courage, says Mugabe"

Robert Mugabe marks his 82nd birthday today by urging other African leaders to defy former colonial powers. "What one notices is lack of courage ... a kind of surrender to European authority, I suppose it's because of poverty," he said. "None of them will stand up and say to them, 'go to hell'. We shrink in asserting our rights. We need much more courage in the African Union."

In the 90-minute interview on state television and radio, Mr Mugabe also denounced the British government. "Our erstwhile former coloniser still wants to govern us by remote control," he said, repeating charges denied by Britain that it was sponsoring the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.
guardian.co.uk