Japanese PM Invites Internationally Criticized Zimbabwe President

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, who is blamed for human rights abuse, is to pay an offical visit to Tokyo to discuss China`s geopolitical expansion on the African continent, media reported Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has invited to Tokyo internationally criticized Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe to discuss growing Chinese influence on the African continent, as well as Japanese opportunities, media reported Tuesday.

According to The Telegraph, the Zimbabwean leader is criticized for human rights abuses, Zimbabwean-North Korean cooperation, illegal trade in "conflict diamonds" that are said to be illicitly traded to fund conflicts in conflict-torn areas, in particular in central and western Africa.

Mugabe is expected to come to Japan later this month.

Japan is said to seeking to develop new markets for Japanese firms in the African country, despite UN-imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe, including embargo on exports of strategic goods, including military goods, products used for torture and repression, radioactive sources and dual-use goods, as well as an arms embargo.