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Rowan Williams meeting Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe Rowan Williams gives Robert Mugabe Zimbabwe abuse file
(about 3 hours later)
The Archbishop of Canterbury is meeting Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Lambeth Palace has confirmed. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has met President Robert Mugabe and presented him with a dossier of alleged abuses against Anglicans in Zimbabwe.
It ends doubts the men would meet after Rowan Williams criticised "mindless and Godless assaults" in a sermon in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, on Sunday. Dr Williams told reporters Mr Mugabe had agreed to speak to a rebel bishop accused of inciting violence against Anglicans who do not support him.
There are no details about the agenda for the meeting. Britain's relationship with Zimbabwe and EU sanctions were also discussed.
However, Mr Mugabe's spokesman said he intended to raise the issue of Western sanctions and question Dr Williams on his church's attitude to homosexuality. The archbishop said the Harare meeting was "very candid", with disagreement expressed clearly but peacefully.
Dr Williams is to hold a news conference at the Bronte Hotel, in Harare, after the meeting. Dr Williams, the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, was joined by the archbishops of Central Africa, Southern Africa and Tanzania at the meeting.
Nolbert Kunonga, a renegade bishop who backs President Mugabe, has been accused of inciting violence against Anglicans who do not support him. In a joint media conference afterwards, the Church leaders said Anglican congregations in Zimbabwe had suffered "serious harassment and violence" at the hands of illicit factions and the police since 2007.
"They've been intimidated, their churches have been closed, properties including schools, clinics and orphanages have been seized," they said.
"We want strongly and unequivocally to support the efforts of ordinary Anglicans here to worship in peace and to minister - as they have done for so many years - to the urgent spiritual and material needs of their communities."
They said they had asked "in the clearest possible terms" that Mr Mugabe use his powers as head of state" to put an end to all unacceptable and illegal behaviour".
Tear gas attacks
Anglicans accuse Mr Mugabe of helping Nolbert Kunonga, the former bishop of Harare dismissed by Dr Williams, to carry out assaults on them. Congregations have been beaten by Mr Kunonga's supporters and attacked with tear gas.
Dr Williams said Mr Mugabe had not seemed "entirely familiar" with the scale of intimidation contained in the dossier presented to him and expressed his concern at the damage the Church division was doing to communities generally in Zimbabwe.
Prior to the meeting, Mr Mugabe's spokesman had said the president intended to raise the issue of Western sanctions and question Dr Williams on his Church' s attitude to homosexuality.
After the meeting, Dr Williams said Mr Mugabe had not said anything "greatly surprising" on Britain. "I was aware of his views on Great Britain's relationships with Zimbabwe in the last couple of decades."
The archbishop said raising the issue of homosexuality was a complete distraction - "throwing sand in the air".
He said he had no regrets about his visit to Zimbabwe and meeting with Mr Mugabe "partly because the local church itself needs a platform to make absolutely sure that its concerns - its grave concerns about injustice and violence are given the maximum possible publicity".
'Godless assaults'
On Saturday, Rowan Williams criticised "mindless and Godless assaults" in a sermon in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.
During the Eucharist sermon on Sunday, Dr Williams pointedly criticised what he said was the "lawlessness" that characterised Zimbabwe.During the Eucharist sermon on Sunday, Dr Williams pointedly criticised what he said was the "lawlessness" that characterised Zimbabwe.
In publicly seeking a meeting with Robert Mugabe, Rowan Williams is taking something of a risk. BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said the meeting between the archbishop and the 87-year-old president was taking place against the background of Dr Williams' intense and sustained criticism of Mr Mugabe's regime.
The Zimbabwean president, who routinely blames his country's history as a British colony for its problems, has no reason to favour the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Dr Williams has questioned Mr Mugabe's political legitimacy, and written an open letter holding him responsible for the persecution of Anglicans.
The archbishop has been warned that Mr Mugabe might simply use a meeting as a way of boosting his standing, making political capital without making significant concessions.
Dr Williams might feel that being received by the president would further boost the status of his oppressed followers in Zimbabwe as authentic Anglicans.
But the archbishop is taking no chances. If there is a meeting he intends to hold a news conference afterwards, to put his own interpretation on the event.
BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said the meeting between the archbishop and the 87-year-old president would take place against the background of Dr Williams' intense and sustained criticism of Mr Mugabe's regime and was likely to be tense.
Anglicans accuse Mr Mugabe of helping Mr Kunonga, the former bishop of Harare dismissed by Dr Williams, to carry out assaults on them.
Congregations have been beaten by Mr Kunonga's supporters and attacked with tear gas.
Dr Williams has questioned Mr Mugabe's political legitimacy and held him responsible for the persecution.Dr Williams has questioned Mr Mugabe's political legitimacy and held him responsible for the persecution.
In his sermon on Sunday to an estimated 15,000 Anglicans, Dr Williams, apparently in response to Mr Kunonga's claim that he represents "neo-colonial interests", acknowledged that British colonialism had been motivated by greed.In his sermon on Sunday to an estimated 15,000 Anglicans, Dr Williams, apparently in response to Mr Kunonga's claim that he represents "neo-colonial interests", acknowledged that British colonialism had been motivated by greed.
But he said it was tragic this illegitimate rule had been replaced by "another kind of lawlessness". But he said it was tragic that this illegitimate rule had been replaced by "another kind of lawlessness".