HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was greeted in Zimbabwe on Thursday by people singing songs critical of the West as he arrived on what is expected to be the final leg of his trip to three African countries.
Raisi was greeted at Harare International Airport by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who thanked the Iranian leader for his “solidarity”.
Both countries are under US sanctions and Raisi’s trip to Africa, which has already included stops in Kenya and Uganda, highlights Iran’s efforts to establish new partnerships in an effort to mitigate the impact of these heavy economic sanctions.
Iran and Zimbabwe already have a permanent joint commission on political and trade relations.
They also share historical ties and Mnangagwa thanked Raisi for Iran’s help in a war of liberation in the 1970s that ultimately saw the South African nation break free from white minority rule.
“When we went to war, Iran was our friend. I’m glad you came to show solidarity,” Mnangagwa said in brief remarks on the tarmac at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport named after the late Zimbabwean leader Mnangagwa who helped oust him in a coup. of state in 2017.
Dozens of supporters came out to watch Raisi arrive, some waving flags from Zimbabwe and Iran, and some holding signs with Raisi’s face on them. They also sang songs criticizing the West as “white masters” bent on interfering in Zimbabwe.
Members of Zimbabwe’s Muslim community also came to the airport to greet Raisi and he inspected a Zimbabwean army honor guard.
During his visit to Uganda on Wednesday, Raisi strongly criticized Western nations’ support for homosexuality and LGBTQ+ rights, calling it “one of the dirtiest things”. He said Uganda’s recently passed anti-gay legislation and Western criticism of it was “another area of cooperation for Iran and Uganda”.
Zimbabwe also has anti-gay laws, and homosexuality and same-sex marriages are illegal.
However, Mnangagwa did not attack homosexuality, unlike his predecessor, the late Mugabe, who described homosexuals as “worse than dogs and pigs”.
The last visit of an Iranian leader to Zimbabwe dates back to 2010, that of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
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AP Africa News: https://apnews.com/hub/africa