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Zimbabwe: Growing Pressure for Arms Embargo
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SW Radio Africa (London)
ANALYSIS
23 April 2008
Posted to the web 23 April 2008
Lance Guma
There is growing regional and international pressure for an arms embargo to be placed on Zimbabwe, until a legitimate government is in place. This is mainly because of the Chinese arms ship that was turned away from South Africa last week.
A High Court order sought by pressure groups in Durban barred its transit overland to Zimbabwe, while trade unions in the region urged their members to refuse to unload it. Campaigners are arguing that presidential election results have still not been announced 25 days after the elections and as such any arms shipments are likely to be used for internal repression.
On Wednesday the new Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, called on the United Nations Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Zimbabwe. He described the plight of Zimbabweans as 'heart-breaking' warning that 'already bruised, broken and crushed by oppression and economic hardship before the elections, they are now even more divided, despondent and, in many cases, hopeless than they were before.' He argued that a heavily armed Zimbabwe would threaten peace, security and stability in the region and that the South African government should support calls for a UN arms embargo.
In Britain Prime Minister Gordon Brown picked up the issue while responding to questions from parliamentary backbenchers. He pledged to promote proposals for an arms embargo saying 'a message should be sent from the whole of the UK that what is happening in Zimbabwe, failing to announce an election result, trying to rig an election result, is completely unacceptable.' South Africa's main opposition, the Democratic Alliance, also called on China to stop arms shipments to Zimbabwe until a legitimate government is in place. DA foreign affairs spokesman Tony Leon said he had written to the Chinese ambassador in South Africa to put forward the argument.
Pressure group Human Rights Watch wrote a letter to Chinese president Hu Jintao urging the country to cease all arms deliveries to Zimbabwe 'while the very high risk exists of such weapons being used against the civilian population.' Sophie Richardson the Asia advocacy officer for the group said; 'China prides itself on being a responsible power. This means it has no business shipping arms to an abusive government, in the middle of a brutal and violent crackdown.'
In an unprecedented snub of Mugabe's regime, Southern African states at government level appear to have rallied together in blocking the Chinese ship from offloading its deadly cargo. Reports indicate that Angola and Namibia have refused the ship access to their ports. An Angolan foreign ministry spokesman said; 'The government does not have any intention to allow that vessel into the country. Given the ongoing volatile political situation in Zimbabwe, we believe we need to approach this issue very carefully.' Namibia a long time ally of Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF echoed a similar stance.
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SADC Chairman and Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa got the ball rolling this week by urging the entire region not to accept the arms ship. On Tuesday Associated Press reported that the ship might now be on its way to China after its owners recalled it. Conflicting reports emerged Tuesday over its location and destination, with some suggesting it was near Cape Point while others said it was now in Namibian waters. By Wednesday there was still no clarity on its location.
JACOB Zuma, the leader of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has revealed that “countries in the world” have been urging South Africa to use force to oust President Robert Mugabe in neighbouring Zimbabwe.
Zuma, tipped to be South Africa’s next leader after President Thabo Mbeki, who has been the chief negotiator between Mugabe’s Zanu PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to find solutions to a deepening crisis, said they had rejected the use of force.
“I don’t think Mbeki must apply force in Zimbabwe,” he told the New York Times on a visit to... [Read Full Text]
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