And the beat goes on
Republican presidential candidate John McCain and Democratic hopeful Barack Obama finally agree on something. Both believe Zimbabwe Pres. Robert Mugabe should be removed from office.
This because a reign of terror he has waged against opponents inside his country.
Mugabe has been the only president of Zimbabwe since the African nation won independence from the UK nearly 30 years ago. At the time, he was viewed as a progressive leader. Today the octogenarian is a tyrant.
He is going ahead with a sham election. One in which his opponent has withdrawn because of violence directed at the opposition party.
It's good that McCain and Obama have put their differences aside for a common good. However, their calls ring hollow.
The international community, including the United Nations and influential regional leaders, like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have also called for Mugabe to halt the elections and step down. But he is steadfastly refused.
No one, seemingly, believes this situation to be severe enough to send in armed troops. So Mugabe listens to the increasing clamor for his resignation and then discounts it.
And the people of his nation continue to suffer.
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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/willposh/2600567231/
2 comments:
Terrible situation!
Where are the African nations? This is a regional problem that should be handled on the continent.
The Afican nations have, until now, stood steadfastly behind Mugabe and held him in high esteem as a liberator of the people of the former South Rhodesia. Even the British Government acknowledged his postive contribution and awarded him a Knighthood, making him Sir Robert Magabe. But things have changed. The patience of the rest of the world seems to be running out for Magabe, and for the first time African nations are offering criticism and censure. The South African President has led this rumbling supported by several other African nations.
Up until recently Zimbabwe was the bread basket of Africa, producing sufficient grain to secure it economically. That changed when Mugabe began his expulsion of white farmers and the seizure of their lands, thus facilitating the dessimation of their grain producing and farming industry. Mugabe may not have been wrong with his wanting ownership to be in the hands of the indiginous population, but what he failed to do was put in place any strategy for the continued support of the industry..... now the people are starving. He criticised the West, saying that the grain supplies they had sent to relieve the famine were designed to undermine the country's grain economy (GM crops were sent, meant to be eaten, not planted)
Mugabe has expelled jounalists, has attacked diplomatic staff, has intimidated opposition political opponents and slaughtered their supporters. There is no longer any freedom in Zimbabwe, just fear and hunger. Isn't it JUST this sort of situation that the UN was established to monitor and prevent?
Personally I think that Mugabe is suffering some sort of degenerative condition that is severely impairing his judgment and encouraging delusions of grandeur! He and Ahmedinejad made a good duo at the recent UN talks on the world food crisis in Rome -- inteesting that neither of them wee invited to the official UN dinner!!! Shame.
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