South Africa doubts need for U.N. action on Zimbabwe

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it expects the U.N. Security Council to vote next week on sanctions against Zimbabwe's leaders for last week's widely criticized election but South Africa suggested it would oppose the resolution.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters after a closed-door council session that he had formally submitted the U.S.-drafted resolution to the full 15-nation council.

"We expect a vote on the resolution sometime next week," Khalilzad said.

The sanctions would impose an arms embargo on Zimbabwe and travel bans and asset freezes on President Robert Mugabe, the central bank governor and 10 other top government and security officials.

Mugabe won re-election in a June 27 run-off ballot after Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, pulled out because of attacks on his supporters. Tsvangirai had won a first-round vote on March 29.

Khalilzad said the council had no choice but to respond to Zimbabwe's defiance. But it did not want to do anything that would harm the country's already-suffering people, he said.

"We have proposed a resolution that will impose targeted sanctions on those that are responsible for the crisis with the expectation and hope that they will be incentivized to cooperate," he said.

"This crisis not only impacts the people of Zimbabwe, and we stand with them, but also the region," Khalilzad said.

In a telephone interview with Reuters, South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo indicated he would not back the U.S. draft, saying the very premise of the resolution was faulty.

"The biggest challenge of the resolution is the premise that the problem of the election is a threat to international peace and security," he said.

Several Western diplomats spoke optimistically about the chances for passing an amended version of the U.S. draft but Kumalo said it was too early to predict any outcome.

To be approved, a resolution needs nine votes in favor and no veto from any of the five permanent council members -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.

RUSSIA AND CHINA

In addition to South Africa, Russia and China have said Zimbabwe was an African problem and voiced their disapproval at the idea of imposing sanctions. But it was not clear if Moscow and Beijing were prepared to use their veto powers given the wide condemnation of Mugabe's re-election.

The resolution will be revised in closed-door negotiations before it is put to a vote. Council diplomats say it is possible there could be changes to the proposed measures and the list of those targeted by the sanctions could shrink.