Harare — THE just-ended 13th Summit of Comesa Heads of State and Government hosted in the resort town of Victoria Falls was a roaring success for the region and particularly for our country, as the host nation.

The summit testified to our fortitude given the multi-faceted challenges we are facing, and reeling as we are from the ruinous illegal economic sanctions that have constrained our capacity in many sectors.

The fact that we hosted not only a highly subscribed and successful summit, but one at which history was made through the launch of a Customs Union, shows the heights we can scale if only the West can stop sabotaging our advancement through ruinous sanctions.

The summit was also providential in the sense that forces opposed to the development path we have chosen have not relented in their attempts to portray us a pariah state; indeed, there were claims in certain tabloids that the summit would flop, ostensibly because of alleged opposition to President Mugabe.

But as we saw last week, all 19-member countries were represented, and they went on to endorse President Mugabe's chairmanship of Comesa, the largest regional economic grouping in Africa, comprising of 19 member states out of the continent's 53 countries.

What this proves is that Zimbabwe is a full member of the family of nations even though some are keen to give the impression of isolation.

The summit made a number of resolutions that proved that Comesa is one of the few Regional Economic Communities in Africa that can still speak out in defence of not only its membership, but also the continent at large.

The leaders were unequivocal in their condemnation of the illegal economic sanctions on Zimbabwe, with suggestions of an economic rescue package.

This was a carryover of the resolution they made at the 8th Summit held in Khartoum, Sudan, in March 2003 that saw Comesa become the very first REC in Africa to condemn the illegal sanctions imposed by the West.

We also saw the leaders speak out strongly against the situation in Madagascar, and reject the virtual coup in that country when they invited ousted leader Marc Ravalomanana and refused to embrace the regime of Andry Rajoelina.

We were emboldened by Comesa's condemnation of the International Criminal Court's duplicitous warrant of arrest against Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir who stands accused of war crimes in Darfur, yet people like former US president George W. Bush who waged unprovoked wars in Iraq and Afghanistan go unpunished.

In speaking out against such duplicity, Comesa was much more courageous than the African Union that only called for the postponement of the warrant.

To this end, we urge the AU to rekindle the spirit of its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity, and stand in defence of the continent's interests, without fear or favour.