Zim ban creates crisis in old ‘colonies’ club’

The extension of Zimbabwe’s suspension from the Commonwealth is a slap in the face for President Thabo Mbeki and Nigerian leader Olusegun Obassanjo, who were hoping this punitive measure would wither on the vine.

Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon’s announcement in the third week of March that Zimbabwe will be left out in the cold until the heads of government meeting in Nigeria in December has created a crisis in this club of former British colonies.

Mbeki strongly disputes McKinnon’s assertion that the South African and Nigerian leaders agreed with his action.

Mbeki and Obasanjo maintain they merely told the secretary general to seek wider support for extending the suspension slapped on President Robert Mugabe’s government when Commonwealth heads of government met in Australia last year.

A limited sanction was a tough enough measure to show Commonwealth concern at human rights abuses and stealing an election, the South African and Nigerian presidents felt.

McKinnon’s move has shown them they are out of step with the wider Commonwealth feeling that Zimbabwe be excluded until Mugabe’s government is seen to be taking steps to apply democratic norms and obey the rule of law.

McKinnon got a particularly strong message from the Australian and New Zealand governments that have unilaterally imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard is the third member of the troika, with Mbeki and Obasanjo, charged with deciding how to express Commonwealth displeasure with Zimbabwe.

Howard made no secret of the fact that when the troika met again, as was scheduled this month, he would be pushing for something tougher than suspension.

Mbeki and Obasanjo responded by calling off the meeting. This is yet another instance of African leaders insisting that they call the shots on dealing with a recalcitrant colleague.

‘They present it to us as part of the New Programme for African Development (Nepad),” said a European diplomat in the third week of March.

‘They will get their house in order, and then we must take them seriously and commit to development aid and promoting investment. It is a wonderful idea but it all falls down at the Zimbabwe hurdle.

‘If the African powers cannot take effective action against what amounts to an illegitimate leader who is enriching himself while beating and starving his people, then how seriously must we take them on other issues?” the diplomat asked.

He said that this stubborn refusal to face up to Mugabe has sabotaged years of hard work building meaningful cooperation between Europe and Africa.

‘The Euro-African summit scheduled for Lisbon this summer has fallen victim to this. African leaders would rather scrap this important meeting than allow some Europeans to express their displeasure at what it is happening in Zimbabwe.

‘As a result the whole Euro-African development machine has slowed to a crawl. We are particularly disappointed in the South African position. Mbeki quite justifiably takes a vocal moral stand on a range of international issues that he cannot possibly change,” the diplomat said.

‘Yet he remains quiet on Zimbabwe over which he has real influence. Worse, he allows his foreign minister to make statements reassuring Mugabe that he is immune to South African criticism.”

Mbeki’s bid to get French assistance on Zimbabwe has fallen victim to the war on Iraq. At last month’s Franco-African summit, Mbeki asked French President Jacques Chirac for some unspecified help on Zimbabwe.

The French leader, who had broken European sanctions on Zimbabwe by inviting Mugabe to Paris for the meeting, said he would do what he could. Mbeki’s thinking was the France might be able to help thaw the freeze between Harare and European capitals — particularly Britain.

‘Can you think of anyone worse?” said a European envoy referring to the widening chasm between Paris and London over Iraq.

‘[Prime Minister] Tony Blair and others are blaming Chirac for taking the pressure off Saddam Hussein and forcing them to go to war.

‘France will be at full stretch mending its fences with it own allies. For the foreseeable [future] there is no chance of it being able to make any running on Zimbabwe’s behalf.”