The African Union Encourages the International Community to Focus on Neglected Crises

Today President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and AU Chairman, qualmed my fears about Mbeki's resignation affecting Zimbabwe's power sharing deal. During his speech at the UN General Assembly, he assured the international community that the AU is dedicated to the restabilization of Zimbabwe and would work towards that goal in addition to the challenges faced in other parts of Africa, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also used his time as a platform to advocate for the complete deployment of UN peacekeepers in Sudan and that UN forces relieve the "overstretched" African forces in Somalia- a conflict that has been virtually ignored by the western community and admittedly this blog (this will soon change).

Will Mbeki's Forced Resignation Delegitimize Zimbabwe's Power Sharing Deal?

This weekend, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa was forced to resign amid charges that he interfered in rival, Jacob Zuma's corruption case. Besides the implications of this change in administration for South Africa, I can't help but wonder how this event will affect the Power Sharing Deal recently signed in Zimbabwe and brokered by Mbeki, an avid supporter of President Mugabe. The ANC has stated that Mbeki will be given the chance to continue operating as a mediator in Zimbabwe, but I can't help but wonder how Zimbabweans especially members of the opposition party will welcome his participation.


For the most part, criticism surrounding the deal has been largely pessimistic. And just days after the agreement was signed, there were reports that both parties were unsatisfied with the terms of the agreement and desired more substantial power. The MDC spokesperson even referred to the deal as a "false marriage". This is a clear indication of the need for more talks and resolutions, however with Mbeki facing his own slew of domestic issues, is he in the position to continue to mediate negotiations? And if so, will he have an even greater personal interest in the outcome of the negotiations on the brink of his demotion?

One cannot help but wonder how long this vision will last....

Power Sharing Deal Reached in Zimbabwe

Today, the new leaders of Zimbabwe announced the details of the power sharing deal reached on Friday. President Mbeki mediated the negotiations which maintains Robert Mugabe's seat as President and establishes opposition leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai as Prime Minister and Arthur Mutambara, who heads a breakaway faction of the MDC, Deputy Prime Minister
Though the full details of the deal have yet to be disclosed, President Mugabe will remain head of state, the cabinet, and the armed services. Prime Minister Tsvangirai will head the council of ministers and the police.



This is most definitely a step in the right direction and I can't wait to see how Zimbabweans as well as the international community will react. Mugabe largely criticized the UK for their interference in the political conflict by imposing sanctions and ZANU-PF and MDC supporters did not seem to mirror the reconciliatory spirit of Mugabe and Tsvangirai and clashed outside the conference center where the event took place. I hope that these are not signs that this showcase of cooperation is not truly genuine. Zimbabwe has a plethora of rebuilding to do and cannot achieve success without the strength of cooperation.

Enough of ENOUGH

I usually don't like to criticize other NGOs for the work the do because I try to believe that everyone approaches their work with good intentions. And if we all shared the same vision then there would not be a needed for hundreds of different organizations. However, recently NGOs have been casually throwing around political terms that are extremely destructive and disrupting the humanitarian communities capability to reach our goals and truly generate positive change in the world.
Currently, I am thoroughly annoyed with ENOUGH. Besides the fact that I immediately recognized them as one of many bandwagon jumpers claiming to work towards the end of genocide in Darfur (ie. Save Darfur, 24 Hours for Darfur, Genocide Intervention Network, Stop Genocide Now, Our Pledge, and more that I could ever find the time to name), their latest "campaign" has really got me pissed off.
ENOUGH claims to be a "project to end genocide and crimes against humanity". However, their latest report is focused on Robert Mugabe and his dictatorship in Zimbabwe. Now, anyone who has been following this blog knows that I am not a fan of Mugabe and his most recent stunt thoroughly pissed me off. However, you also know that I am not a fan of any dictator and have compared him to other current leaders, who have been welcomed and befriended by the same leaders and countries that criticize Mugabe. I'm all about calling a spade a spade, but I can't stand double standards or public figures who exploit their power and influence for the sake of personal interests.
ENOUGH, however, seems to be unaware of leaders throughout the world who mirror Mugabe's style of leadership and took the time to write a 28 paged report suggesting that he should be held accountable and prosecuted for international CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. I'm not even sure if they know what that means. They then go on to say that the African Union should support the effort, though they will be reluctant to do this. Ummm...yeah...considering most of the members are his cronies!
Though I never held them in a high regard to begin with, I've completely lost respect for ENOUGH because in an effort to yet again jump on another humanitarian/political bandwagon, they have simplified the meaning of international statues and are abusing external actors role in protecting citizens. America and the Western world in general need to recognize that they are not world police. It has led them to act like the backward law enforcers citizens despise, who accept payoffs from billionaire drug lords and arrest 14year old corner boys.
Why hasn't ENOUGH written a report demanding that George W. Bush be indicted for international war crimes - considering he has illegally invaded and occupied a country for five years, destroying their infrastructure and invalidating the established method of governance, resulting in millions of refugees and displaced people. All to the political and financial benefit of he and his cohorts. But I won't get into that...
Ultimately, I've had ENOUGH with ENOUGH and they need to seriously reassess their mission and purpose.

Hypocrisy at Its Peak

I have tried to avoid posting news about the sham elections in Zimbabwe because I prefer to highlight more novel events related to Africa. And by now, if you aren't aware of how Mugabe stole the Zimbabwean presidential election, then you don't care.

Bush recently, Bush has become very vocal about the whole situation and even attempting to convince other world leaders to impose sanctions against Zimbabwe.

I definitely think that international pressure is needed in order to mediate the situation (though I feel it should come from the SADC and not the West.) However, President Bush's vocalness on this matter is completely hypocritical. In 2003, on the eve of the Iraq invasion, President Bush invited President Baul Biya to the White House in order to court his support. This is a man who has also been in power since 1984 and has maintained it through the repression of the opposition party and gross human rights violations and has even amended the constitution to inevitably make him President for Life. Sound familiar? But today, after Mugabe publicly embarassed President Bush and all of his Western cronies, President Bush "cares about the people of Zimbabwe"? Right.... Let's end the hypocrisy. All of Bush's actions and statements have been influenced by personal gain and interest. Seeing as though this is a blog about Africa, I won't even get into the invasion and occupation of Iraq, but his hypocrisy shines bright and quite frankly hurts my eyes...

A Sad Day for Democracy

This Friday Zimbabwe will hold its run-off election for the presidency. However, due to the overwhelming amount of violence, corruption, and repression that has marked the presidential run-off campaign, the results will be a complete sham. Yesterday, Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition party's leader and winner of the initial election, pulled out of the election, asserting that contesting Mugabe's rule was not worth the number of lives that had been and would continue to be lost as a result of challenge of his rule. Here are his comments, as well as responses to the decision he made.



Mugabe definitely wins the bully of the year award. Unfortunately, he has always been a bully. Upon taking power in the 80s, he stripped White Zimbabweans of their land and redistributed it to his supporters. Only, at that time, it was considered cool and payback for the centuries of oppression Blacks had suffered under Whites. Mugabe grew a large support base because of his radical and uncompromising stand. However, today, 28 years later he continues to use force and radical and uncompromisable approaches to control the country and his people.



It is time the international community stop ignoring grave acts of human rights abuse in Africa. For the sake of human lives, please put our selfish interests to the side and call and spade a spade. We all laughed when Mugabe chastised Bush for calling the kettle black:



But he has taken his authoritarianism too far and needs to be stopped!

I respect Tsvangirai for fighting until now and wish he could continue, considering at this point, if Mugabe is going to assassinate him, he will regardless of whether he wins or not. But it is definitely time for someone to put at end to dictatorships and complete disregards for democracy that are plaguing us.

It's Getting Worse

First CARE, now all aid groups have been suspended from operating in Zimbabwe. I think I've already made it clear how I feel about this whole situation. Now it's just getting downright sad...
Food distribution has been banned, in the middle of a food crisis.
The publicized rationale behind the ban is to prohibit aid groups from politicizing their operations and influencing the vote of citizens. But if Mugabe has been leading his country in a fair and just way, what is he so afraid of?
Since Tsvangirai's return to Zimbabwe, he's been detained twice. American and British diplomats have also been harrassed and detained. Now the government is using its power to turn on it's citizens. This situation is completely out of control and I can only imagine what June 27 holds in store.

Yes, Mugabe, You've Officially Lost Your Mind!

CARE provides assistance to 500,000 of Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable people, including orphans, the sick and the elderly. This month, it would have fed more than 110,000 people in schools, orphanages, old age homes and through other programs.

And last week, President Mugabe suspended CARE from operating in Zimbabwe. He asserts that CARE has been financially supporting opposition parties in Zimbabwe and encouraging people to vote against the ZANU-PF, the current ruling party, which has been in power for almost 30 years.
CARE, like most humanitarian aid organizations are nonpartisan and deny the accusations levied against them. Of course, I do not know whether or not CARE staff was speaking against the government in the name of CARE, but what I do know is that President Mugabe and the ZANU-PF have been institutionally silencing all citizens and organizations that have criticized their regime. I have spoken out about this in previous posts, especially when their abuse extended to US Ambassadors and diplomats, but if I thought they crossed the line before, now they've completely erased it.
To suspend the operations of a leading and reputable humanitarian organization is blasphemous, especially on the brink of a mass repatriation of tens of thousands of citizens who have been run out of South Africa and seek support at all levels.
When will our leaders embrace a true democracy that involves a critique of our leaders and support of opposition groups?!?!? Why is it a crime to have a differing of opinions? For centuries we've sought to be viewed as a diverse people and not one monolithic group, yet we persecute those who challenge our perspective. But to continually risk the livelihoods and development of your people is sick. And all I am left to believe is: Yes, Mugabe, You've Officially Lost Your Mind!

The Fight Against Immigrants

In the US, immigration has become a widely contested issue as the economy declines. Many citizens contend that immigrants take jobs from away from them and are demanding that the US tighten their borders.
This weekend in South Africa, the battle against immigration took on a more violent persona as 22 foreigners were killed and over 6,000 forced to flee. Native South Africans in the townships of Johannesburg attacked other Africans who they felt were taking their jobs and benefiting from social services.
It's truly unfortunate that economic conditions have forced Africans to abandon their communal and hospitable spirit. Most of the foreigners killed were from Zimbabwe (up to 3 million Zimbabweans live in South Africa), where they are escaping government persecution and extreme poverty. However, they have been blamed for much of South Africa's own social and economic problems including unemployment, housing shortages, and an extremely high crime level. Many have decided to return home rather than continue to face the violent attacks in South Africa.



Nigerians, Malawians, and Mozambicans were also reported to be recipients of the violence, which include savage beatings, rape, and people being burnt alive. More than 200 perpetrators have been arrested, but mobs are still roaming the streets in search of foreigners and looting and burning their businesses.

Don't Act Foolish, Zimbabwe

For over a month now, supporters of the opposition party and critics of the government have been harassed, detained, abused, and even killed in Zimbabwe. More recently, these bullies have foolishly turned their aggression on US diplomats in the country. Unable to turn their heads to the post election violence plaguing citizens in Zimbabwe, US ambassadors and other diplomats visited victims in the hospitals and on their way back were held hostage at a roadblock for almost two hours, while they were questioned by security officials for their reason of being there. Though none of the diplomats were harmed during the verbal altercation, I hope that the ruling party in Zimbabwe realizes that this type of behavior will only bring more attention to their human rights abuses and hopefully more countries will demand transparency in their current democratic system and a legitimate ruler will soon rise to power.

More recently, citizens have used very novel ways of protesting the government's repression. Hackers shut down the Herald newspaper website, regarded as the official mouthpiece of President Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

Results Finally Released in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has finally released the results of their presidential election. To no surprise, Morgan Tsvangirai won.



Unfortunately, he only won with 47.9% of the vote (to Mugabe's 43.2%), so there will have to be a runoff election. This is why since the elections, Mugabe has been arresting and abusing supporters of the opposition party so that they will not come out to vote in the runoff. Hopefully, the next round of elections will be peaceful and Zimbabwe can finally be freed from a 28 year old dictatorship.

Team Work Against China

For some unexplainable reason, China thinks it's a good idea to ship arms to Zimbabwe- a country in the midst of a political conflict, where the president has made it clear that he will use force to sustain power. Thankfully, Zambia, Angola, and South Africa have prevented China from transporting arms to Zimbabwe.
Thank you Africa, for not allowing China to fuel an already brewing violent conflict!

Cooperation is the Only Option

The opposition parties in Zimbabwe have realized that the only way to successfully oust Mugabe out of power is to cooperate and unite as one for the time being. Tsvangirai and Mutambara, Zimbabwe's opposition party leaders, have united to declare control over parliament and demand that Mugabe concede. Mugabe has relegated to imprisoning the opposition in an effort to maintain power for another 28 years, but I feel as though with the support of the international community and unification of the opposition parties, he will not succeed without bloodshed. Hopefully, he will not take it that far. In the past we've seen the need to virtually drive out other dictators who wouldn't give up their throne and this still led to bloodshed. Mugabe, please spare the lives of innocent citizens and step down!

Rulers for Life- Mugabe

Weeks after the presidential elections in Zimbabwe, Mugabe refuses to turn over power or reveal the percentage of votes he received. Tsvangirai has fled to Botswana for fear of his life.
The desire of African leaders to be rulers for life has convinced them to completely reject democracy and the will of the people. Even opposition parties, who develop the courage to speak against them are eventually silenced and fear for their lives and those of their supporters because they realize that these dictators care more about their personal power than the future of the nation.

A refugee who fled Zimbabwe with his family said his fellow countrymen had finally spoken, but warned that dark days lay ahead.
"If Tsvangirai becomes president Mugabe will mobilise war vets, the army, police, secret service and the militia to take revenge on the people who just want bread and freedom.
"On the other hand, if Mugabe rigs the elections in the next 21 days and imposes himself as president, people will fight back and lives will be lost," he said.