13 December 2008
document
The United States has given notice that it intends pressing the United Nations Security Council to take stronger action against the government of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe in the coming week. The following is an excerpt from a U.S. State Department briefing by spokesman Sean McCormack on Friday:
You mentioned that the Secretary [of State, Condoleezza Rice] is going to talk about Zimbabwe when she's up there [at the United Nations in New York this week]. What are you hoping -- are you hoping to come up with a new resolution on Zimbabwe? What are you crafting?
MCCORMACK: We're in discussions with members of the Security Council as to what the Security Council as a body might do. Thus far, the Council has not really been willing to take meaningful action, and that's been unfortunate. We have spoken out quite clearly and forcefully about that. We'll see if attitudes have changed. We hope they have. The number of cases of cholera, statements from Robert Mugabe notwithstanding, is going up, not down. The crisis has not ended. People's lives are in danger. And what we want to do is to start a process that will bring an end to the tragedy that is unfolding in Zimbabwe.
But how are you going to do that? Has the Secretary, for example, called the South Africans? I think [U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe James] McGee called it, you know, the big dog on the block who wasn't really doing very much.
McCormack: Right, right. We're talking to the South Africans. And like I said, I'm not going to rule out the Secretary making some phone calls before she goes up to New York. We'll see, and we'll keep you informed of those.
Well, why doesn't she just pick up the phone and call them? What's holding her back?
McCormack: Well, what's holding back South Africa from acting or other states from acting? So yeah, certainly, if it were merely a matter of the Secretary making a phone call, I'm sure that phone call would have already been made. That said, we are talking to South African - South Africa as well as other states. And I - that diplomacy will continue, and I certainly wouldn't count out the fact of that phone call coming.
There have been some quotes from South African officials saying that they're trying to - trying to convince Mugabe to retire. Is that what the U.S. is trying to work with the South Africans on, trying to get him to retire?
McCormack: It's time for him to go. Those are the words of Secretary Rice. You have a statement from --
I know, but are there - is there diplomacy working to try and get - to try and - I mean, there is a difference between saying he's - go and trying to arrange the conditions for him to leave. I mean --
McCormack: You'll have to talk to the South Africans as to what they're doing. Yeah.
Do you think it would be a good idea for neighboring countries to Zimbabwe to close their borders and to sort of blockade?
McCormack: Look, I'm not going to prescribe any one particular action here. They - these countries have leverage. And they have leverage that, you know, could - is of a different means than just closing the borders. They have political leverage. Robert Mugabe probably could not continue on in the position that he is in without some form of political support for him from neighboring states and states on the continent. We have made it quite clear where we stand, and I think many, many other states in the international system have made it quite clear where we stand.
So you talk about various kinds of leverage. There are all kinds of different levers, and I'm not going to prescribe any one particular lever. But we do know, as a fact, that states in the region have at their disposal unused leverage, which we would urge them to use in this case, because the situation in Zimbabwe is not getting any better and people are dying.
But are you looking at acting against South Africa because of their lack of action? Is that something you --
McCormack: No, South Africa is a friend. And ultimately, they bear responsibility for whatever actions they decide to take or not to take. As a friend, we have urged them to take action. But ultimately, they're going to have to decide their own course of action.
Read comments. Write your own.
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.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
Your comment is so sad especially when you think us in Africa especially Zimbabwe we ruled by undemocratically elected gangsters purporting to be Africanists. Your comment lacks any serious analysis of the so called Africanists. Rhodesians claimed they wer acting in the best interest of black Zimbabweans and similar claims are also spearheaded by Zanu PF. If you ask who elected Mugabe? He elected himself and he goes around claiming that he was representing the interests of Zimbabweans and to add insult to he does not have our mandate.
This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.
What are natives Africanist? Is Mugabe an Africanists or is he a product of the fraud and subterfuge given to Africa at the so-called independence? With true independence Zimbabwe would have two states that then join the Continental Union seperately, Mndebele and Shona.
If Ndebele want to be ruled by Shona, they should be happy with their choice and decision and live by it! Other wise, they should petition the AU and declare state hood with their own constitution and determine their own future.
Poverty, disease and ignorance, right on the nail brother. Exactly the same weapons Mugabe is using against us Zimbabweans, he simply tops it up with brutalisation. I share the vision of a United Africa brother, but mine has a leadership with accountability
This is a tired argument favoured by our autocratic and corrupt leaders and those who benefit from picking up the crumbs from their tables. Why worry about the speck in someone's eye and not the log in our own?
Africans have known this for a very long time. That is why wars of liberation have been fought across the continent. Our biggest problem is that our leaders, blinded by greed, are willing to sell our freedom just like the slave sellers of history. Most of Africa's leaders today are only interested in lining their pockets and do not care about the nation. It is high time Africans stopped focusing on the past and deal with the present. Slavery, colonisation and the intentions of the West are common knowledge now.Enough time has been spent on concientising the people it is now time to rise against the obstacles that stand in the way of Africa's progress. The first one of these barriers is the corrupt and incompetant leadership of most African countries. Lets put our house in order first if we are to succeed.
Find our vision for a path to African peace, unity and properity. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanUnionist/
No matter what you call a slave plantation , it remains a corrupt plantation. The enemies of Africa fund the antiAfrica wars of poverty, disease and miseducation to dehumaize and justify genocide. Its a matter that should be dealt with by a competent court with appropriate jurisdiction, at the appropriate time to try these imperialist colonial crimes against humanity.
Mugage inherited a corrupt plantation, the British South Africa Corporation, where native Africans are not considered people.
This is a white man's Company chartered and enforced by the full force of the British banks and now the US military law.
The native Africans must embrace the responsibility to seek a better laws that place them as people at the center of the government existence.
How many years will it take Africans to learn that the world law is the EU military law: survival of the fittest white EU tribe superiority?
What is the mission of the West? The mission of the UN is to kill Africa using poverty (money embargo), disease (using malaria, AIDS, cholera) and ignorance by miseducation. What's your opinion we would like to know.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanUnionist