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LONDON - Robert Mugabe has been stripped of his honorary knighthood by the Queen as a "mark of revulsion" over the abuse of human rights and disregard for democracy in Zimbabwe.
The growing international condemnation of Mr Mugabe convinced UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown that the knighthood could be taken from the Zimbabwean President without it proving counter-productive.
Britain's Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, formally recommended the annulment of the honour to the Queen, saying it was a "mark of revulsion at the abuse of human rights and the abject disregard for the democratic process" in Zimbabwe.
Mr Mugabe's name will be removed from the register of knights.
Foreign Office officials admitted that the loss of his title as Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath - conferred by John Major's government in 1994 - will be shrugged off by Mr Mugabe, but said it would send the right signal that he is regarded as a pariah.
Mr Brown warned earlier this month, when he was urged to cancel the knighthood by Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, that it would undermine government efforts to force the Zimbabwean President to end human rights abuses.
"If we had done it earlier, it would have been turned into a propaganda victory by Mugabe, but we judged that the time was right," said a source close to the Prime Minister.
Mr Brown said the Government was preparing to "name and shame" members of the junta keeping Mr Mugabe in power.
"We will name these individuals and these will be part of the next stage of the sanctions," he told MPs.
A total of 131 individuals are subject to EU sanctions, but Mr Brown said the sanctions would be extended and tightened.
They could stop the families of the regime leaders from travelling abroad for benefits such as private education in Britain.
The whole world had woken up to the "evils" of Mr Mugabe's "criminal cabal", said Mr Brown, as he called on African countries to help to bring about a "peaceful transition" in Zimbabwe.
Mr Brown also for the first time urged companies to join a financial boycott of Zimbabwe.
"Where businesses are helping the Zimbabwean regime, they should reconsider their position now," he said.
The British company Anglo American, which runs the Unki platinum mine in Zimbabwe and has been investing in the country for 60 years, said it was "deeply concerned" about the current political situation, but hinted in a statement that it would refuse to give up the project.
A statement from the company said: "It has been made clear to Anglo American that if it ceases to develop this project, the government of Zimbabwe will assume control.
"Anglo American has a clear responsibility to protect the wellbeing of its more than 650 employees and contractors, as well as their families and all those who depend indirectly on the activity around the project, all of whose livelihoods would be jeopardised should the company withdraw from Zimbabwe."
- INDEPENDENT
