'African leaders will not heed Mugabe call'

African leaders are unlikely to heed President Robert Mugabe's planned pullout of the United Nations as that would spell doom to their fragile economies, local opposition parties and analysts have warned.

Addressing the 26th ordinary summit of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Saturday, Mugabe threatened to lobby African countries to pull out of the UN in protest over the continent's lack of representation in the UN Security Council (UNSC).

But opposition parties described Mugabe's proposal as ill-advised and likely to attract few takers on the continent.

Currently only Britain, China, France, Russia and the US were UNSC permanent members where Mugabe was demanding at least two permanent seats for Africa.
 
In yesterday's comments, South Africa president Jacob Zima said he fully agreed with Mugabe as he was stating what was agreed at eZulwini conference.