The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Mnaku Mbani
23 April 2008
President Jakaya Kikwete faces another Herculean task as chairman of the African Union (AU) after a resolve by civil societies around the continent to petition him this week to act over the looming political crisis in Zimbabwe.
Led by the East Africa Law Society (EALS), the 105 undersigned representatives of civil societies from 21 countries in Africa met in Dar es Salaam on Monday and resolved to petition the AU chairman to face Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe over the political crisis.
Human rights bodies and Zimbabwe's opposition MDC have said post-election violence has displaced 3,000 people, injured 500 and left at least 20 dead.
They also reported that they have found camps where people are being tortured by the army and President Mugabe sympathisers for having voted "the wrong way".
"We call on the African Union to protect Zimbabweans from the military and paramilitary retribution against innocent communities for having voted Mr Mugabe out of office.
The state sponsored violence against the people for exercising their democratic rights must be condemned at the highest level of the AU," read part of a statement released by EALS yesterday.
The civil society also wants results of the ongoing vote recount in Zimbabwe not to be recognised, the anticipated run-off called off and the parties to stick to the March 29 presidential election results, which are yet to be announced.
Amid apparent dilly-dallying by Southern African Development Community (Sadc) appointed mediator South African President Thabo Mbeki over the issue, the civil society also wants the AU to appoint an independent high level Pan-African panel of eminent persons to resolve the post election crisis.
"The entire mediation process lacks, transparency, neutrality, openness and consultation.
The Sadc elected mediator has shown clear bias to the incumbent government and he should be removed from the mediation process.
There is currently a blocked process with Zanu PF attempting to stay in power through coercion.
There is intimidation, arrests, torture and killing of opposition supporters, civil society activists and lawyers and this is a miscarriage of justice and further undermines the fundamental principles of democracy, rule of law and human rights," the statement says.
The statement also condemned the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the judiciary headed by retired senior army officials as a biased, infiltrated and, therefore discredited institutions, whose sympathy for President Mugabe is well documented.
It also said President Kikwete should be consistent with Article 4 of the African Union Constitutive Act that provides for the "right of the Union to intervene in a Member State pursuant to a decision of the Assembly in respect of grave circumstances" such as war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
According to the statement, the purchase of firearms by President Mugabe from China at such a time was something the AU must be concerned about.
Sadc chair Zambian President Levi Mwanawasa has also urged other African leaders not to allow a ship carrying arms for Zimbabwe to enter their territorial waters.
This follows the refusal by South Africa and Mozambique to dock the ship carrying millions of rounds of ammunition bought by President Mugabe from China.
The Chinese vessel was said to be bound for Angola but the US is reported to be pressuring port authorities there and in Namibia not to allow them to dock.
Mr Mwanawasa said the tension in Zimbabwe, following last month's disputed elections, should not be allowed to escalate further.
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allew,
You accused the Brits of lying about the Chinese arms headed for Zimbabwe because they provided no evidence to back up their claim. Don't you see though that by not giving the truth as you know it, backed by evidence, you too are doing the exact thing you accuse them of doing? What do you know about the 'alleged' arms shipment?
allew609, people like you don't deserve to be given space on this media to voice your unfounded hatred for Britain.What have English-speaking African countries done since independence?Just going backwards.Is that work of Britain or their despotic leaders?Oh allew609 I pray that the curse you have called upon Britain will be the reverse to you.
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