|
|
Zimbabwe: African Leaders Call for Democracy
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
2 July 2008
Posted to the web 2 July 2008
Africa's heads of government have called on Zimbabwe's political parties to initiate a dialogue aimed at setting up a government of national unity.
They have also pressured the Southern African Development Community to "seize the momentum for a negotiated solution" to the country's political crisis by establishing a mechanism "on the ground" in Zimbabwe.
A summit of the African Union adopted a resolution on Tuesday night which noted that three groups of observers - from SADC, the Pan-African Parliament and the AU itself - had issued "negative reports" on last Friday's presidential run-off vote in Zimbabwe.
The summit said there was an urgent need "to prevent further worsening of the situation" and to avoid the spread of conflict. There was also a need to "to create an environment conducive for democracy" in Zimbabwe.
It said preparatory talks on a unity government had already started, and encouraged President Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, "to honour their commitment to initiate dialogue." The summit went on to give explicit support for a government of national unity.
News agency reports from the summit, held in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, said the resolution was adopted by Africa's leaders after two hours of debate on Tuesday evening. The text of the resolution was released by the South African government early on Wednesday.
Reuters interpreted the resolution as "a rare AU intervention in an internal political dispute and an unprecedented rebuff to Mugabe." But the agency said the resolution was not as strongly-worded as some nations had wanted.
|
Botswana reportedly wanted Mugabe banned from African Union and Southern African Development Community meetings. Vice President Mompati Merafhe said allowing him to take part gave "unqualified legitimacy to a process which cannot be considered legitimate."
It is now time to think of a military solution to removing military dictators and tyrants. There has to be a solution to this problem of people who start out or purport to be good and yet turned out to be tyrants who cling to power even when it is absolutely a pathetic and an indefensible situation like Zimbwabwe now is. It is sickening to watch and listen to these socalled African leaders foot pussy around issues, when overall, the lives of Africans and future of Africa is getting worse not better every day. Sovereignity is meaningless if the sovereign... [Read Full Text]
Africa-Africa where are you did we stop making honest leaders here the AU is the most despicable group of hoodlums i have ever seen save a few blessed soles. As a continent we have the natural resources to rival any continent in the hands of these blood stained immoral's how can you sit there and not take a stand against a tyrant even if you have sinned dont you owe us a little decency and say "ah sorry Bob you got caught." Its not alarming to see that we cant meet the goals we are to busy crying foul for... [Read Full Text]
Talk of Africans solving African problems. How can we progress as a continent when we have spineless cowards as leaders of progressive minded people. This situation in Zimbabwe has degenarated to totally idiotic levels while statesmen like Thabo "No crisis" Mbeki have done nothing. God forbid. The blood of all the murdered Zimbabweans in on your hands Mbeki for supporting and tolerating your blood thirsty and power hungry alter ego Mugabe. At this moment i feel no pride in being an African and embarassed to be Zimbabwean. How can the AU just resolve to push for negotiations between Zanu PF... [Read Full Text]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 allAfrica.com. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
