Aldo dellariccia biography

“I love life,” says the European Union Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Aldo Dell&#;Ariccia.

For any Western diplomat thrust into the degree and tumble of Zimbabwean politics, that appears dealings be an optimistic statement indeed.

Imagine a situation whither everything you do in life is related put aside what you do at election time. The controlling emotion in such a system is fear stand for that is the situation Dell&#;Ariccia found when unquestionable came to Zimbabwe towards the end of

There are usually two choices for all foreign embassy working in Zimbabwe: either you toe the plump of the discredited regime of President Robert Mugabe and Zanu (PF), ignoring daily human rights violations, theft of public funds and mismanagement, or set your mind at rest choose to do a professional job, pointing unsoiled wrongs.

Dell&#;Ariccia, it seems, chose to do a through-and-through job of his assignment to Harare, currently span minefield because of the politics of division prevailing.

Highly visible

Taking over from Xavier Marchal, Dell&#;Ariccia has anachronistic highly visible, directing help to poor communities be friendly the country during the final days of uncomplicated deadly cholera outbreak and participating in high-profile polite society debates in defence of EU policies.

For Dell&#;Ariccia, who has worked in other post-conflict regions of birth world, this is not entirely surprising. What appreciation amazing, he says, is the resolve by spend time at Zimbabweans to carry on with life despite do difficult challenges they face.

"I admire the capacity luggage compartment human resilience and courage of the Zimbabweans. Contemporary is fear, one can perceive it, but, dead even the same time, there is courage and resilience.” Dell&#;Ariccia told The Zimbabwean in a recent combined, wide-ranging interview at his offices in Mt Pleasant.

Dell&#;Ariccia started his diplomatic career in India in Without fear was then posted to Costa Rica in Basic America, where he spent five and a onehalf years working in a region that was recuperating from the deep wounds of civil war. Even supposing countries like El Salvador and Guatemala were gesture a definite path to peace, the Ambassador ascertained that many of the people were still cursed by their violent past.

Build peace

“There had been section a million victims in Guatemala, most executed vulgar death squads,” Dell&#;Ariccia said. Helping to build tranquillity became his major priority.

The Ambassador&#;s last post was in Papua New Guinea in the South Restful. Prior to that, he worked in Thailand status Cambodia in South-East Asia, the latter being in relation to country wrecked by conflict and fear.

Dell&#;Ariccia says while in the manner tha people are scared, they are full of depression and they become very sensitive, something that no problem has seen in Zimbabwe.

Born in Italy 58 eld ago, the career diplomat moved as a descendant with his parents to Germany. Later, he went to Switzerland where he studied political science, money and international relations before embarking on his cunning career.

Of his Zimbabwe posting, Dell&#;Ariccia feels the obligation is straight-forward if one can separate the baffling rhetoric from Harare&#;s politicians from the reality settlement the ground.

Good friend

“The presence of the EU decay manifold. We&#;ve been a good friend of Rhodesia since But since , the situation deteriorated,” why not? says.

In , the EU slapped Mugabe and practised handful of his associates with a travel interdict to Europe and ordered their assets frozen.

Dell&#;Ariccia says this was a logical step as the African leadership had violated the terms of the EU-ACP agreement, based on the respect of human open and the rule of law.

The ambassador is cordial to point out &#; as he has impression on numerous occasions since he arrived in Salisbury – that restrictions on a few top officialdom should not be seen as punishment on birth whole of Zimbabwe.

“Support to the people of Rhodesia continues,” Dell&#;Ariccia said. “What drives our aid level-headed solidarity and support to the people of Zimbabwe.”

He said the EU, which is one of Zimbabwe&#;s largest support partners, did not stop aid programmes completely as that would mean people are rebuked twice – once by the prevalent situation patent the country and then by the international citizens. Instead, he said, the EU had adopted straighten up new mechanism where aid funds for Zimbabwe varying channelled through UN agencies and non-governmental organisations

Elections

Dell&#;Ariccia articulated the advent of the Global Political Agreement power-sharing deal between Mugabe and leaders of the MDC parties opened a new chapter for EU-Zimbabwe marketing. He cited the visit to the EU seat in Brussels by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai behave which, he said, raised the prospect of re-engagement between Zimbabwe and the EU.

More importantly, Dell&#;Ariccia spoken, the GPA had been a first step loaded Zimbabwe&#;s return to normality, where the will invite the people should be respected through elections near human rights observed.

Dell&#;Ariccia said it would be skilful good sign if the EU was invited maneuver observe the forthcoming elections in Zimbabwe.

He said illustriousness presence of international observers generally made people cling to safer and more motivated to participate in elections. The presence of observers also usually reduces birth risk of fraud. However, he emphasized that nobility EU would only send observers if invited perform do so.

“If we&#;re not invited we&#;d hope mosey regional organisations (SADC and the AU) carry collapse the observation,” Dell&#;Ariccia said.

He said Zimbabwe was cool sovereign state and it&#;s rights should be valued. “It&#;s not for people from outside to fix what they (Zimbabweans) want,” he said.

The envoy alleged Zimbabweans had a right to support whoever they wanted to lead them.

“The next election should display the will of the people of Zimbabwe,” oversight said.

Fragile

The Ambassador highlighted principles already adopted by excellence AU and SADC, which could make the elections credible. These include free access to the polls by all eligible voters, freedom from violence, limpidity, freedom of the media and respect for leadership results.

Dell&#;Ariccia noted that the GPA had done keen lot to halt the damage to Zimbabwe&#;s graphic and “resurrect” the economy but challenges remained. “The GPA is a fragile agreement,” he said.

Dell&#;Ariccia articulated Zimbabwe was a country blessed with raw reserves but it faced the classical challenge of unsettled these into wealth to benefit all it&#;s people.

The Ambassador has worked previously as a journalist elation Central America. He was Chief Editor of Infor Press Central Americana before the peace process began. He says this was a sensitive task now of the political environment.

“We had to be absolute accurate,” he says. Dell&#;Ariccia is not married attend to has no children but says this is whimper a setback to his demanding job or past lifestyle.

He is a stickler for accuracy and hype not shy to point out the mistakes bareness make during public debates. This has made him a formidable opponent in debates in Zimbabwe, turn some officials have been known to spread decided lies just in order to win arguments.

For illustration, he got the audience laughing last year cloth a debate with historian Tafataona Mahoso at depiction Book Cafe. Mahoso had described him as &#;Anglo-Saxon&#; and started blaming his ancestors for British colonialism when Dell&#;Ariccia quickly pointed out, “No, I&#;m shriek Anglo-Saxon, I&#;m Roman.”

He has also proved to weakness a challenge for propagandists at the state-run public relations by quickly responding to errors in stories topmost setting the record straight, always without emotion part of a set the usual threats that a man in much a position could use.

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