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Britain to push world leaders to declare Mugabe not legitimate leader Tue. June 24, 2008 07:38 am.- By Bonny Apunyu. - (SomaliNet) The British minister for Africa said on Monday that Britain will push world leaders to declare that Robert Mugabe is no longer Zimbabwe’s legitimate leader and will urge a broader package of sanctions against his supporters. Mark Malloch Brown, Africa Minister said the former colonial power backed Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s decision to pull out of a June 27 presidential run-off vote and Gordon Brown’s spokesman said the prime minister was disappointed by the violence that forced his hand. “Our objectives are to get in every forum possible a recognition that today President Mugabe no longer remains the proper rightful leader of the country,” Malloch Brown told reporters. “He has no claim under his own constitution for the presidency ... we do not accept the status quo, we do not expect the international community to accept the status quo,” he added. “I think we can look with reasonable confidence to broad- based action to make sure there’s a resolution of this situation,” he said. The United Nations Security Council, which meets later on Monday, the European Union and the African Union should consider wider sanctions, Mr Malloch Brown said. They could take action against the financial assets of members of Mugabe’s administration, against their ability to travel without risk of arrest on human rights grounds, or against the foreign studies of children of the members of Mugabe’s inner circle, he said. Sanctions should not impact the poor, however, he added. If Mugabe insisted on staying on, Malloch Brown said Britain could look at the aid it gave to Zimbabwe and clamp down further on British or European countries doing business with Zimbabwe. Britain could “broadly cut any kind of economic ties and strip back the political ones to the barest minimum,” Malloch Brown added, declining to go further into detail. Tsvangirai withdrew from the election on Sunday, saying his Movement for Democratic Change supporters would be risking their lives it they cast their votes. Malloch Brown said African countries were increasingly condemning Zimbabwe’s leadership and the violence which the opposition says has left 86 people dead and displaced 200,000. Britain could only do business with a national unity government that reflected “the popular will of the people” and was genuinely committed to reform and change,” he said. “It tests credulity to believe President Mugabe could be part of it or indeed others around him,” he said. –Reuters News Category: World Latest Headlines Latest News Iran executes 180 people in 2008 ... Pakistan: Suicide bomber killed trying to ram vehicle... Iran ready to share nuclear technology with Nigeria Sri Lanka: 34 killed in fighting, prison blast wounds... Russia: Blats kill two Russian soldiers in Chechnya<... DRC: 4 dead, several wounded as rebels, gov’t troops... Nigeria: Militants say know whereabouts of kidnappe... Somalia: President Yusuf urges MPs to work togethe... Somalia: Two civilians killed as Islamist rebels at... Somalia: Somali pirates release Filipino crew held ... More News...