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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe eats his cake during Saturday's celebrations to mark his 92nd birthday. Mugabe appears to have no plans to step down as feuding over his successors threatens to tear Zimbabwe's ruling party apart.
Mugabe, who has been the leader of Zimbabwe since 1980, throws himself a birthday celebration every year. But this year's party has inspired more criticism than usual, Reuters reports, because Zimbabwe is suffering from a devastating drought — and Masvingo, the site of the party, is one of the hardest-hit regions.
The area has lost 75 percent of its corn crop, the region's staple food, because of the drought, the wire service says.
During his birthday celebration Mugabe said that no one would starve because of the drought. But he also suggested he'd be willing to turn down food aid from the West, Reuters writes. He's requested almost $1.6 billion in such aid.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/ ... t=20160227Specifically, he said that he'd reject any aid that came with the stipulation that Zimbabwe accept same-sex marriage — a condition, Reuters notes, that no aid organization is known to have suggested.
"We don't want it. It is rotten aid, filthy aid and we won't have anything to do with it," Mugabe said.
A girl listens to a speech by Mugabe during celebrations marking his birthday at the Great Zimbabwe monument in Masvingo on Saturday.
A girl listens to a speech by Mugabe during celebrations marking his birthday at the Great Zimbabwe monument in Masvingo on Saturday.
Jekesai Njikizana/AFP/Getty Images
Mugabe's birthday party cost $800,000, Reuters reports
