| From: | "Jim Yarker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> |
| Subject: | US: It's time for Zimbabwe to match Florida's exalted standards |
| Date: | Sat, 23 Mar 2002 03:51:20 -0500 |
[which is not quite how they put it. Charles Snyder, American deputy assistant of state for African affairs, on the Tsvangirai video: "Those of you who have seen the tape, it looks doctored to me, speaking personally, and I've been in the Africa business a long time." Newcomers to “the Africa business” should follow the pronouncements of Snyder and his colleagues closely over the next while]
The Herald (Harare), 3/23/02
US blackmails Africa to ditch Zim
By Political Editor, Philip Magwaza
THE United States government has now resorted to blackmail in an effort to force
African countries to isolate and condemn the Zimbabwean Government for
winning the just ended presidential election.
In a desperate bid to build consensus on its anti-Zanu-PF and President Mugabe
campaign, the American government has promised massive aid to African
countries if they ditch Zimbabwe. The American administration has already
slapped the country with sanctions.
According to Reuters news agency, a senior US official told African countries on
Thursday that US aid to Africa could suffer if they did not take a stand against
this month’s presidential elections in Zimbabwe.
The United States, Britain and the Commonwealth say the election, won by
incumbent President Robert Mugabe, was not free or fair because of violence and
intimidation by President Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party.
But African governments have rallied behind President Mugabe and declared the
election free and fair. Most of these governments felt that Western outrage is
driven in part by sympathy for the white farmers who control most of the arable
land that Mugabe is redistributing.
Charles Snyder, a deputy assistant of state for African affairs, told a gathering at
the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington that Zimbabwe
had become a test case for attitudes toward governance in Africa.
He said: "We have begun a bargain with Africa in general, a new day in Africa in
which we are looking for this new Economic Partnership for African Development.
"The rules of the game call on the Africans to provide good governance, peer
review and, if you want, neighborhood watch."
"If Africa doesn’t step up here it’s going to cripple our ability to provide the kind
of economic development assistance we want to provide — not the humanitarian
aid, but serious economic assistance," he added.
"The Commonwealth has stepped up and we are gratified by that but we are
looking forward to the rest of Africa stepping forward on this," he said.
Snyder said the Bush administration would impose financial sanctions on
Zimbabwean leaders, on top of the US visa ban it has already slapped on Mugabe
and about two dozen associates.
US officials have said for days they are moving in that direction but have not
explained a delay in announcing a freeze of any assets the Zimbabwean leaders
may have in the country.
Snyder said: "How that will come out is a matter of bureaucratic infighting, but
stay tuned. There will be action on that front as well."
The US official repeated Washington’s complaints about the conduct of the
presidential elections, which ran from March 9 to March 11, and added that he
doubted the authenticity of a tape purporting to support treason charges against
the defeated opposition candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai.
"Those of you who have seen the tape, it looks doctored to me, speaking
personally, and I've been in the Africa business a long time," he said.
"It's that kind of accusation that goes beyond the norms of politics. That's why we
are so outraged."
The Zimbabwean ambassador to the United States, Dr Simbi Mubako, disputed the
allegations that the election was rigged.
He said the voting was not perfect but the imperfections could not have changed
the outcome.
Although there was a lot of pressure from the United States, the European Union,
Britain and other members of the Commonwealth for the imposition of sanctions,
the Commonwealth troika on Zimbabwe resisted this pressure resulting in a
symbolic suspension of the country from the councils of the 54-nation grouping.
However, this has triggered a new frenzy from Western capitals threatening to
impose individual sanctions, which unfortunately were already in place and are
unlikely to cause any new damage.
Zimbabwe has survived for over five years now under unofficial sanctions from
most European countries that had diverted their funding to promoting opposition
politics and civic organisations opposed to the Zimbabwe government.
Canada a long time ally of Zimbabwe was expressing mixed signals following the
one year suspension with critics of Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien arguing
that the suspension was inadequate. Keith Martin a foreign affairs spokesman for
the opposition Canadian Alliance Party, said the suspension was an inadequate
slap on the wrist.
He called for tougher sanctions, which include an arms embargo and travel ban on
President Mugabe and Government ministers. Chretien resisted moves in Australia
at the Commonwealth Summit for harsh punitive action. Canada though has
already suspended most of its development aid to Zimbabwe and extended its ban
on travel to include most Government officials or people with connections to
Zanu-PF.
Australia irked by the symbolic one-year suspension was urging its citizens not to
come to Zimbabwe.
Without any tangible proof of violence breaking out in Zimbabwe, foreign affairs
minister Alexander Downer called on Australian citizens to defer holiday and
normal business to Zimbabwe.
Analysts wondered whether Australia was going to fuel unrest and create a
chaotic state of affairs.
However, its cricket team due to tour Zimbabwe has refused to cancel its trip.
In London gay rights activist Peter Tatchell told Reuters that Zimbabwe human
rights watchdog Amani Trust had documented hundreds of incidents of what they
called state sanctioned torture which should be used to arrest President Mugabe.
However, it has since been revealed that the Amani Trust was just a front for the
MDC used to document alleged cases of violence against the opposition party
and to shelter alleged victims of political violence who were used for
demonstrations and political attacks on the ruling party.
British foreign secretary Jack Straw is dying for stiffer penalties against Zimbabwe.
He is hoping that this weekend’s European Union meeting in Barcelona should
review sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Denmark because of its close links with MDC since its formation has openly
shown its dislike for the Zimbabwe Government. The Danish Government has
gone to the extent of closing its embassy in Harare and relocated to South Africa.
Switzerland according to reports is proposing travel and financial restrictions
against Zimbabwe. New Zealand, the home country of the Commonwealth
secretary general, Don McKinnon is advocating for the barring of Zimbabwe from
the Commonwealth Games.
The agenda, it has since emerged, is not about elections which have been
described as legitimate by African countries, China and other progressive nations
but, the removal of President Mugabe because of his land reform programme
which threatens the lavish lifestyles of white farmers in Zimbabwe.
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