War Criminal Blair Secretly Courted Robert Mugabe to Boost Trade

But the secret documents show how, despite international condemnation of Mr Mugabe's regime, Labour was secretly negotiating to establish close trading and political relations with Harare. At this time, Mr Mugabe was under growing pressure to accept responsibility for "crimes against humanity" in which thousands of Matabeleland civilians were killed by the Zimbabwe army's Fifth Brigade in 1983-87.

Proof of President Mugabe's intent came in October that year when the two leaders finally met at the Commonwealth summit in Edinburgh. Mr Mugabe told Mr Blair that he wanted Britain to fund his land reforms in which half a million hectares of white-owned farmland were to be redistributed among black farmers.

But, weeks earlier, a Foreign Office briefing to Mr Blair argued the advantages of meeting the African President outweighed human rights concerns.'

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