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Zimbabwe: Country is a Small Issue; Why Won't Bush Just Invade It?
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The East African (Nairobi)
COLUMN
22 July 2008
Posted to the web 22 July 2008
Joachim Buwembo
There is this nagging Zimbabwean situation that just won't go away. But how would it go away when most world leaders support Dr Robert Gabriel Mugabe? He is a member of their club and that is what matters. And Mr Morgan Tsvangirai is just a nuisance that is trying to spoil the party.
Start with the United States, which has the capability to take Bob Gabriel out if it so wished. Consider the reasons they invaded Iraq and removed Saddam Hussein. If Saddam was less democratic than Mugabe, that is something they need to convince the world about. At least, the last time Mugabe won the general election, he got the same or higher percentage score than Saddam.
At least we now know the other little story of weapons of mass destruction was just that - a story. Nobody believes it now and those who ordered the invasion did not believe it then. So Saddam's main crime was lack of democracy.
Well, what the Zimbabwean opposition was going through during the electioneering period by the time they chose to remain alive rather than participate in the voting cannot be any better than what Saddam's political opponents suffered. So for that matter, one would expect the US to mobilise the UK and a few other rich friends to attack Zimbabwe.
The British public would actually support this invasion more than they supported the Iraq venture, since they have far more relatives farming in Zimbabwe than they had doing anything in Iraq. And speaking in military terms, the goons that were killing people in Zimbabwe would present a weaker challenge to US and UK troops than the Iraqi army did.
We can also add that the Zimbabwean population, which had given Mugabe less votes than his main opponent in the first round of voting, would not be as hostile to the invaders as the Iraqi population was and still is.
What is more, invading Zimbabwe would present less public-relations problems than the Iraqi experience. You see, the Zimbabwe culture is close to the Western one because of long-term association. Many black Zimbabweans are Christian and a big number have English surnames.
So, you would have the ultimate humiliation that the captured Iraqi soldiers went through. We are told some of the Iraqi prisoners cannot even testify against their tormentors because as Muslims, they would rather suffer silent anguish than admit, for example, some of the things American women did to them in captivity.
What about African governments and our African Union? If they really wanted, Africans could sort out the Zimbabwean mess in a matter of days. They all agree there is no democracy at work in Zimbabwe and that the life of anybody who does not support the ruling party can be snuffed out anytime.
So, why don't they deploy a force like they did in Somalia? Even with a shortage of ready cash, there should be willing governments to send troops like Uganda did in Somalia, until the international community contributes.
African states have in recent history intervened militarily in situations where their interests are threatened, and now under the AU we are all brothers and what happens in Zimbabwe is of interest to us. See what happened in Congo.
Uganda took troops there because of Allied Democratic Front rebels, Rwanda deployed its soldiers because genocidaires were regrouping. Angola was there to help strengthen the government in Kinshasa. And yes, Zimbabwe too did not hesitate to send troops to try restore democracy and sane governance in Congo. Or did they go for other reasons? Why can't they do the same today in Zimbabwe?
When democracy was under threat in Comoros, Tanzania did not sit back. It brandished its military might and matters were sorted out rather quickly. So, if we got 10,000 troops from each of the SADC countries, plus another 10,000 from Kenya and Uganda each, would the anti-democracy forces in Zimbabwe stand a chance?
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In the Zimbabwean crisis, African governments have an opportunity to show that they are serious; that they are actually relevant when it comes to tackling political problems that easily cost thousands of lives on the continent.
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