JOHANNESBURG, S Africa (AP) – An outraged UN torture investigator said yesterday he believes Zimbabwe’s president may be the reason he was blocked from the country, a move that could further isolate the struggling nation and its fragile coalition government.

Manfred Nowak had planned to investigate alleged attacks on Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s supporters by militants linked to President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party. Mugabe, who has been in power for nearly three decades, is accused of trampling on human rights and democracy, and holding the international community in contempt.

“There are certainly some parts of the government who do not want me to assess the current conditions of torture,” Nowak told reporters in Johannesburg upon arrival from Zimbabwe.

“There are strong indications that this was not just done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs without at least the knowledge or instruction by President Mugabe,” Nowak said later at a news conference.

Ephraim Masawi, a spokesman for Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party, said angrily that allegations Mugabe was involved in barring Nowak were “not true”.

Nowak said he had a meeting scheduled yesterday with Tsvangirai, even though other Zimbabwean officials had told him he was not welcome. Tsvangirai, a long-time opposition leader, joined the government with Mugabe in February, but withdrew temporarily from Cabinet earlier this month after accusing Mugabe’s party of human rights violations.

Nowak called his treatment a “serious diplomatic incident” as well as alarming evidence of the split in the coalition that Tsvangirai has called the only way to rescue Zimbabwe from economic ruin and violent political impasse. Nowak said the coalition could fail, which would mean new balloting in a country with a history of election violence blamed on Mugabe’s supporters.

Jean Ziegler, who advises the United Nations on human rights issues, said the UN general secretary could – and should – ask UN aid and development agencies to curtail cooperation with Zimbabwe in response to

the “scandalous” treatment of Nowak.

Rwandan militia leader gets life in prison for war crimes

MONTREAL, Canda (AFP) – A Rwandan militia leader found guilty of crimes against humanity in Canada’s first war crimes trial for his role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide was sentenced yesterday to life in prison.

Desire Munyaneza, 42, had been found guilty earlier this year of seven counts of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity for the rape, murder and torture of dozens of Tutsis and moderate Hutus in southern Rwanda from April to July 1994.

He received the maximum penalty under Canadian law and will not be eligible for parole until having served 25 years in prison.

The trial was the first test of a Canadian law passed in October 2000 claiming “universal jurisdiction” over the world’s most horrific crimes.

“It was a very challenging case as it involved events dating back 15 years in a foreign country,” prosecutor Pascale Ledoux said after the May verdict.

The mere fact this case went to trial shows Canada’s resolve in bringing war criminals to justice, she added.