Action Alert: 11th AU Summit taking place in Egypt
UPDATE: ~6pm
The contact database was updated this afternoon. Just click under organisations on AU, and it should bring up the full list of commissioners, chairs and directors for the AU.
UPDATE: This came in from Avaaz
Now all eyes turn to our leaders there — it is the African Union who will decide whether to help or abandon the people of Zimbabwe in their hour of need, whether to challenge Mugabe’s theft or welcome him. Minutes ago, we received word from Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt that the AU leaders are locked in debate this very moment, with some leaders hoping to ignore the crisis and Senegal leading the charge to address it.
No time to lose: let’s deluge African leaders with African messages crying out for them to launch a mediation process, end the violence and begin a transition. Click here to send a message to your own leader using our special tool:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/africa_speaks_on_zimbabwe/1.php?cl=103627083
Please send this link out far and wide.. contact all your friends and ask them to take action
The 11th African Union (AU) summit is currently taking place in Egypt, with the executive council meeting on the 27th and 28th of June, and the assembly of the AU meeting on the 30th of June and 1st of July.
Mugabe will, no doubt, plan to attend the latter part of the meeting following his ’success’ at the polls today. This cannot be allowed to happen. The AU community should not recognise Mugabe as the legitimately elected president of Zimbabwe, and thus should not allow him a seat at this AU meeting.
It’s up to us to put pressure on the AU to speak out strongly against Mugabe, and refuse him entry into the meetings this weekend. The Action Contact Database has contact information for a large number of AU officials and influential members of the leadership of the AU countries (select from the organisations options).
Please use the database to contact as many of these people as possible by phone, fax, or email. Point out to them that this run-off has no semblance of legitimacy on account of the fact that ZANU-PF have unleashed unprecedented violence on the people of Zimbabwe, in many cases forcing them to go out and vote for Mugabe through threats to their lives and livelihoods, despite the withdrawal of the leading candidate.
Also note that this issue is not simply a Zimbabwean problem: the way the AU handles this issue speaks volumes about their stand on democracy in Africa, and the world is watching. Should they turn a blind eye to this current crisis, there is no way that their own governments can claim to have a genuine commitment to democracy on the continent.
Please do all you can at this crucial time. The people of Zimbabwe are bravely defiant in the face of a brutal, terrorist regime, as shown by the extremely low voter turnout today. We owe it to those who are not being allowed to speak for themselves to do all we can to ensure that they have a voice, and that power is returned to the people of Zimbabwe.
This information was also sent out on our Twitter account. Create your own Twitter account and link to ours to receive alerts via your cell phone.
June 27th, 2008 16:03
I can only find two emailable contacts in the Action Database who are involved in the AU - Alpha Oumar Konare, the chair, and the Tanzanian president, Jakaya Kikwete.
I’m only able to email. Are there any other mailable contacts in the AU that anyone knows of?
Thanks
June 27th, 2008 16:07
Egypt is another country run by an ageing dictator who tolerates no opposition.
June 27th, 2008 18:09
The contact database was updated this afternoon. Just click under organisations on AU, and it should bring up the full list of commissioners, chairs and directors for the AU.