The secretary general of the Commonwealth, Don McKinnon, admitted yesterday that the body had failed in its efforts to get Mugabe to reform, but said it would keep trying.
The 54-country Commonwealth has suspended Zimbabwe until December in protest at election-rigging in presidential polls a year ago and human rights abuses.
But the organisation says the internal situation has worsened since the suspension was imposed in March 2002.
”It’s a classic case where we have failed. I claim we deserve an A minus for effort over Zimbabwe but about a D minus for achievement,” McKinnon said.
”Nevertheless we remain engaged; we want to see things happen there that would benefit the Zimbabwean people.”
Zimbabwe is gripped by its worst crisis since independence from Britain in 1980. Famine is threatening two-thirds of its 12 million people, inflation is running at 228%, unemployment is 60% and the country is beset by shortages of fuel, electricity and foreign currency.
The Commonwealth has been calling for political dialogue, national reconciliation and what it calls genuine land reforms but McKinnon said that the group has achieved little success.
He said: ”It hasn’t worked. I’ve tried to send ministerial missions there — failed. I’ve tried to send special envoys there — failed. I’ve tried to go there myself — failed.” -Guardian Unlimited Â