Links ~ 30 June 2008

AU chair congratulates Mugabe on election victory (SABCnews)
Despite intense local and international pressure on the African Union to take a tougher stance on Zimbabwe, Mugabe could take his seat amongst them without a single rebuke. The AU chairperson Jakaya Kikwete congratulated South African President Thabo Mbeki for his mediation efforts in Zimbabwe. Kikwete then congratulated the Zimbabwean people. Kikwete asked that the international community should work with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to find a solution to the political situation in Zimbabwe. The SADC were holding closed-door meetings on the sideline of the AU summit to discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe.

Kenya urges AU to suspend Mugabe
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has urged the African Union to suspend Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe until he allows free and fair elections. His appeal at an African Union summit in Egypt came as Zimbabwe’s opposition said the country faced a constitutional crisis after an “illegal” poll.

Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe ‘a hero’, say African leaders (Telegraph – UK)
Robert Mugabe was welcomed as a “hero” at the African Union (AU) summit. Hopes are fading that the AU will exert pressure on Mugabe. President Omar Bongo of Gabon said that African leaders would not allow Western governments to dictate their view of Zimbabwe. Bongo said that, “We have even received Mugabe as a hero. We understand the attacks but this is not the way they (Western governments) should react. What they’ve done is, in our opinion, a little clumsy, and we think they could have consulted us first.”

MDC says failure by AU to act on Mugabe would be “catastrophic” (DPA)
The MDC warned, in a statement, that should the African Union fail to take action on the crisis in Zimbabwe the consequences could be “catastrophic”. The MDC has called for “expanded African involvement” to release Zimbabwe from the stranglehold of South African President Thabo Mbeki as mediator and the autocratic Robert Mugabe. In the statement, the MDC asked that the AU send peacekeepers to protect Zimbabweans from the state-sponsored violence at the hands of the militia. The militia has killed 90 MDC supporters since the March elections. The MDC said that it was “committed” to a transitional solution, if certain conditions were met. There have however not been any negotiations between the MDC and Zanu-PF.

Elder statesmen say Zimbabwe vote illegitimate (Reuters)
The Elders – a group of ten, international elder statesmen – has issued a statement in which they urge the African Union (AU) to declare the Zimbabwe June 27 elections illegitimate. They said that a special envoy should be appointed by the AU to serve as mediator in Zimbabwe. The AU envoy should mediate an end to the crisis and assist with the creation of a transitional government and the preparations for free and fair elections.

“The crisis in Zimbabwe affects all Africans. And the fate of all Zimbabweans is on our conscience. The African Union has a commitment to good governance, justice, respect for human rights and the rule of law,” said the Elders.

The group includes four Nobel laureates – Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former US President Jimmy Carter and Bangladeshi banker and economist Muhammad Yunus.

Churches slam Mugabe presidency (Sapa)
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) condemned Mugabe’s presidency as illegitimate as the presidential run-off was not free and fair. The SACC said that it had given President Thabo Mbeki a dossier of alleged atrocities committed against Zimbabweans ahead or the presidential run-off election in Zimbabwe. Mbeki had indicated to them that action had been taken by a team of generals to stop the violence. The SACC called on African and other states not to recognise the “de facto presidency” of Robert Mugabe. The council also called for all states to apply and intensify universal sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwean election not free and fair: PAP (SABCnews)
The Pan African Parliament (PAP) observer team said the presidential run-off election was not free, fair, or credible. The PAP observers said that another election should be held. They said that there was a very low voter turnout. It is the first time that all member states of PAP agree on a statement.

Germany Backs Second Mediator in Zimbabwe Crisis (DW)
Germany said that it supported a call by the MDC to the African Union to name another mediator in talks on the political crisis in Zimbabwe. German foreign ministry spokesperson Martin Jaeger said, “We will in the next days and weeks be watching very closely how things in southern Africa develop”. Jaeger said that the European Union has taken up the question and that discussions will take place as to what measures will be implemented with regard to Zimbabwe.

First draft of UN Zimbabwe sanctions ready-Britain (Reuters)
The United States has completed a draft of a UN Security Council sanctions resolution to punish some members of the Zanu-PF government. British Ambassador to the UN John Sawers said that Britain supported action against those people in Zimbabwe who subverted the elections, creating a climate whereby the will of the Zimbabwean people have been discarded. The UN Security Council will discuss the sanctions in a formal meeting on Wednesday.

Canada condemns Zimbabwe’s ‘illegal’ election, imposes sanctions (CBC)
Canada condemned Mugabe’s government as “illegitimate and illegal” and will be imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe. Foreign Affairs Minister David Emmerson said “You cannot carry on and abuse democracy in a way that was done in this particular run-off and do it with impunity.”

President Bush Announces Sanctions Against Mugabe Goverment (AHN)
President George Bush called the presidential elections a “sham” and announced that he had asked the US State Department and the United Nations to develop sanctions against Mugabe’s government.

Three of the Seven Journalists Arrested On Polling Day Still Being Held (RSF)
Reporters without Borders (RWB) has condemned the arrest of seven Zimbabwean and foreign journalists during the presidential run-off election. RWB said that the AU should remind Mugabe that practicing journalism is not a crime. Of the seven journalists, the Zimbabwean police are holding three without being charged. The following journalists are still being held in a Harare prison without being charged:

· Richard Judson British freelance photographer,
· Regis Marisamhuka, a Zimbabwean freelance journalist, and
· Agrison Manyenge, a Zimbabwean freelance journalist.

“In a Zimbabwe that is mired in an unprecedented crisis, independent witnesses are seen as enemies of the presidential party”, Reporters Without Borders said. “Arrests have become the rule and the Zimbabwean justice system is bogged down in Kafkaesque political cases.”

ATP looking to drop Zimbabwe investment (Global Pensions)
The ATP fund has confirmed that it is considering divesting from mining company Anglo American over its continued involvement in Zimbabwe. The fund is worth US$92 billion.

Anglo American has said that the Unki platinum mine project was a “long term investment”. The mine was in a development phase, has not started with production, and would not generate revenues for years to come. The company said that it was “deeply concerned” about the current political situation in Zimbabwe.

Zambia’s Mwanawasa suffered mild stroke-govt (Reuters)
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa suffered a mild stroke at the African Union summit in Egypt. Mwanawasa has been hospitalised and his condition is stable.

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