By Emmanuel Abalo
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
July 3, 2008
The initial signals emanating from the conclusion of the just ended AU Heads of State Summit in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt point to a disappointingly weak and less than courageous and moral stand against tyranny, non-respect for human dignity, the rule of law and outright broad day election theft by comrade Robert Mugabe.
Africans shockingly witnessed the welcome and seating of former President Mugabe by his colleagues, some of whom have been in office for nearly 40 years.
The professional Head of State of Gabon and long time president Omar Bongo is quoted as saying ' Mugabe was elected, he took an oath, and he is here with us, so he is President and we cannot ask him more." Additionally, the current head of the African Union, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said, "I'd like to congratulate the people of Zimbabwe for their success, but I'd also like to commiserate with them for their suffering.
The southern African powerhouse and South African President Thabo Mbeki who was charged with mediating between the Mugabe government and the potent opposition political party, the Movement for Democratic Change MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai can be said to have failed miserably, was ineffective and lacked the 'cajones' to openly stand up to his neighbor even in the face of naked violence by ruling ZANU-PF militants against opposition members.
Africans and the international community were less than suprised by the final communique issued at the end of the Summit which called for a Zimbabwean unity government fashioned after that of Kenya following its own "election wahala" in December 2007. Even the AU own oberver mission team discredited the Zimbabwean elected in its report.
Here is the Zimbabwean elections timeline and facts:
March 29: Zimbabweans vote peacefully in presidential, parliamentary and local council elections.
April 2: Opposition Movement for Democratic Change says its own tallies show its leader Morgan Tsvangirai won presidential elections outright with 50.3 percent of vote.
April 4: Ruling ZANU-PF party says there will be a runoff and endorses President Robert Mugabe as its candidate. Opposition goes to court to try to force release of all election results; court rejects demand.
May 2: Electoral Commission releases presidential results, saying Tsvangirai won most votes, but not enough to avoid runoff with Mugabe, the second-place finisher.
May 10: Tsvangirai, who left Zimbabwe after the election, announces in South Africa that he will participate in presidential runoff.
May 16: Electoral Commission sets runoff date as June 27, after moving the deadline to 90 days after official election results are released — beyond the legally required 21 days.
May 17: Tsvangirai postpones return to Zimbabwe after his party said he learned about a planned assassination attempt.
May 24: Tsvangirai returns to Zimbabwe.
May 27: Tsvangirai says politically motivated violence has killed 50 of his supporters since the election.
June 3: Government orders international aid groups to suspend operations, after accusing them of campaigning for the opposition.
June 4: Tsvangirai detained for nine hours north of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second-largest city.
June 5: A mob believed loyal to Mugabe assaults a convoy of U.S. and British diplomats, beating a local staffer. The government orders aid groups to halt operations indefinitely.
June 6: Tsvangirai detained briefly while campaigning near Bulawayo.
June 12: Zimbabwe's No. 2 opposition official, MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti, arrested at Harare airport upon returning from South Africa. Tsvangirai detained by police twice briefly while campaigning in the south.
June 19: Biti formally charged with treason, which can carry the death penalty.
June 20: Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights says it has recorded 85 deaths in political violence since the first round of voting.
June 22: Tsvangirai announces he is pulling out of the runoff, citing violence against his supporters.
June 27: Second round of voting is held. Tsvangirai's name remains on the ballot even though he withdrew from the race. Residents say they were forced to vote by threats of violence or arson from the Mugabe supporters.
June 29: Electoral officials say Mugabe won the runoff and he is sworn in for a sixth term. Results show more than 2 million votes for Mugabe, 233,000 for Tsvangirai, and 131,000 defaced or spoiled votes.
What were Presidents Bongo and Kikwete thinking when they made those statements mentioned supra? The summation is that the judgement of these African 2 African can be described as very questionable. Others African leaders have chosen to "play safe' and not openly make any statements for or against the Zimbabwean situation citing the need to be seen as neutral and engaging. This position is cowardly and ineffective. Africa and its leaders need to be counted on to simply do the right thing when it is necessary.
Lets also remember those true heros of Africa who took a stand to protect their conviction of respecting the people's will, democracy, moral courage and leadership by breaking with traditional African solidarity. And it is by no coincidence that some of the leaders were clearly vocal in their criticism of Mr. Mugabe - these are moral heavyweights molded by strong democratic principles:
Boatswana President Ian Khama: " the Southern African Development Community, a subregional grouping, must become "proactive in the crisis, .... if SADC refused to take action I will move unilaterally."
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf called on the African Union to pronounce the June 27th elections in Zimbabwe as not credible and declare the results unacceptable, if the Union is to maintain its credibility. "...all is not well in Zimbabwe’and that the request by SADC for a postponement of the June 27 Zimbabwean elections should be heeded."
Sierra Leonen President Ernest Bai Koroma said African leaders should not support Mugabe's undemocratic regime but should rather embrace a government of unity. "The people of Zimbabwe have been denied their democratic rights. We should, in no uncertain terms, condemn what has happened."
Nelson Mandela: "Nearer to home, we had seen the outbreak of violence against fellow Africans in our own country and the tragic failure of leadership in our neighboring Zimbabwe.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "If you were to have a unanimous voice, saying quite clearly to Mr Mugabe... you are illegitimate and we will not recognise your administration in any shape or form - I think that would be a very, very powerful signal and would really strengthen the hand of the international community."
Southern African Catholic bishops: "We warn that the atrocities and barbarism of Zanu-PF are being documented. Mr Mugabe's actions and those of his generals, their wives, his thugs supporters and the so-called 'war veterans' are offensive in the eyes of God. Judgment awaits,"
We salute these African leaders who have stood up for the rights and protection of the ordinary Zimbabwean who only wants to live in a free society and excercise their God-given rights and those guaranteed by the Zimbabwean Constitution which is greater than any one individual.
It can be assumed that the African Union's credibility and relevance has been dealt a severe body blow over its handling of the Zimbabwean situation. The African Union's relevance is also adversely impacted by the "derisive laughter" of all Africans and the international community. And the AU must be warned that the the deaths and sufferings of Zimbabweans at the hands of Mr. Mugabe's loyalists can and will be seen as a stain on its Charter and legacy.
"The Black Man's sorrow is laughter"
About the Author: Emmanuel Abalo is an exiled Liberian journalist, media and human rights activist and a former Acting President of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL). He now resides in Pennsylvania, USA. He serves as News Director of WRAR-96 Internet Radio on www.RunningAfrica.com.
© 2008 by The Perspective
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