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O'Brien labeled the southern African country as one of America's \"foreign adversaries\" seeking to take advantage of the racial protests. Zimbabwean Minister of Information Nick Mangwana rejected that, tweeting, \"Zimbabwe does not consider itself America's adversary. We prefer having friends and allies to having unhelpful adversity with any other nation including the USA.\"

\"PHOTO:
Matt Dunham/AP
PHOTO: People march through Parliament Square in central London, May 31, 2020, to protest against the recent killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis.
>

Asked what O'Brien was basing that on, a State Department spokesperson told ABC News Monday, \"We remain deeply troubled by the Zimbabwean government's use of violence against peaceful protestors and members of civil society, as well as against labor leaders and opposition leaders in Zimbabwe. The Government of Zimbabwe has not arrested a single person in connection with any abduction since 2018, nor has it investigated and held accountable those responsible for human rights violations and abuses.\"

U.S. diplomats in Africa seem particularly outspoken about the issue of these racial protests across the U.S., as they compete with strong Chinese influence and growing Russian involvement across the continent and battle the perception that Trump, who referred to its 54 nations as \"s---hole countries,\" and his administration do not care about Africa.

The U.S. embassies in Kenya and Uganda tweeted that they are \"deeply troubled\" by Floyd's death and that there should be a \"full investigation.\" The embassy in Tanzania also shared the Department of Justice's statement announcing its probe into what happened.

Je suis profondément troublé par la mort tragique de George Floyd à Minneapolis. @TheJusticeDept des USA mène une enquête criminelle approfondie en priorité. Les forces de l’ordre doivent être tenues pour responsables dans le monde entier. Personne n’est au-dessus de la loi. https://t.co/a0HffVCSlv

— Mike “Nzita” Hammer #PortezUnMasque (@USAmbDRC) May 29, 2020

U.S. ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo Mike Hammer had a more personal message Friday, tweeting in French that he was \"deeply disturbed by the tragic death of George Floyd\" and that the Justice Department will conduct a thorough investigation.

\"Law enforcement must be held accountable worldwide. No one is above the law,\" he added.

2/2 ...The U.S. stands for human rights & freedoms for all, as enshrined in our Constitution. We will not avert our eyes to injustice at home & abroad. We'll support peaceful public assembly, constructive dialogue, rule of law, as we work toward a more peaceful, democratic world.

— Rebecca Ross (@USEmbRuPress) June 2, 2020

That has been a common theme in many embassies' messages, as U.S. diplomats seek to promote the rule of law in their host countries.

\"The U.S. stands for human rights & freedoms for all, as enshrined in our Constitution. We will not avert our eyes to injustice at home & abroad. We'll support peaceful public assembly, constructive dialogue, rule of law, as we work toward a more peaceful, democratic world,\" said Rebecca Ross, spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Moscow.

Hours earlier, Russia's embassy in Washington condemned U.S. law enforcement's \"unacceptable\" use of rubber bullets and tear gas against personnel from state-run Sputnik news agency, even though Russian police similarly used batons and force to beat back protesters in Moscow last year.

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