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As Britain intensifies its economic and psychological warfare against its former colony Zimbabwe, sharp differences appear to be emerging within the Commonwealth and the European Union, among other international organisations concerning this issue. Countries such as South Africa which have borne much of the British and US led pressure over Zimbabwe have stood firm and refused to sing the Tony Blair blues, which is unfortunately out of sync with the way things are happening in the country. This comes in the wake of the forthcoming Commonwealth Troika meeting in March to assess the progress made by Zimbabwe since its suspension from the Club ten months ago under what political commentators have described as controversial circumstances of the threats of aid freeze and alarmist warnings of region-wide economic, social and political instability by the West. It also comes against the backdrop of the continuing British failure to sustain its campaign against Zimbabwe. The British lobby has suffered similar embarrassment when the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries refused to be dragged into endorsing Britain’s bid to have Zimbabwe excluded from the ACP/EU joint meeting. The land issue, which has been the major source of acrimony between Britain and Zimbabwe in recent years, has entered its final phase, and Britain knows too well that history will not judge it lightly over this issue. It knows that its colonial misdeeds will not easily be swept under the carpet as easily as the Labour Party of Tony Blair would want to put it. The truth about the British lobby is that it has collapsed, and the world is now beginning to open its eyes to see the truth about Zimbabwe and its tolerance level is increasing with each passing day. The world in general is now awakening to the real truth and is now finding it difficult to believe the British assertion that President Mugabe is the one humiliating Britain and placing the lives of its citizens at risk. The truth is that the British colonialists have humiliated Zimbabweans for time immemorial. They plundered and looted Zimbabwe’s wealth from which they have built cities, they raped women of all ages, butchered and enslaved all men, including the blind and the deaf. These events have shown that Zimbabwe does not need to outstretch itself in publicly engaging the British surrogates wherever they are found in the world since their behaviour is motivated by sheer defiance of reason and clear lack of political grasp of the intricacies of Zimbabwe’s painful struggles towards total independence. Britain has remained adamant to see the truth even where those whose interests it seeks to protect such as the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) have decided to engage in constructive dialogue with Government over the current impasse with regards to the land issue. Britain appears not concerned about its growing diplomatic blunders and has dragged the EU into a list of unsavoury cases, which shows lack of regard for African institutions and governments. Not even the growing solidarity within most of the world about the correctness of Zimbabwe’s strategies concerning its political affairs have moved Blair from his warpath agenda against Zimbabwe, which has created a lot of unnecessary tensions within diplomatic circles and the current diplomatic tiff in the EU, among other international organisations. Many countries are now realising that the current determination by Britain to influence events in Zimbabwe is not inspired by the drive to protect the democratic interests of the Zimbabwean people in that country but by Britain’s disgruntlement over the regime in Harare. Some African leaders are now fed up with being pushed around by Britain and some of its surrogates in the EU. The remarks by the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, that the practice by the North that "they alone know better than others about everything ran at cross purpose with the real spirit of human dignity and true partnership". This ultimately prevented genuine dialogue among those who purported to be concerned about events in countries like Zimbabwe. President Mbeki summed up this growing displeasure by saying he was not amused that each time the North was informed that there had been genuine progress in Zimbabwe, it (the North) called for more pressure and demands. "What Britain calls regime change in Zimbabwe is not going to happen. The particular focus on Zimbabwe suggests that particular agendas are being pursued here. And we are being dragooned to play . . . to come and fulfil and implement other people’s agendas," said President Mbeki. Annoyed by the arrogance and contemptuous attitude of the West, Nigeria, which is a member of the Commonwealth Troika, has also thrown its affirmation of solidarity with Zimbabwe ahead of the meeting. Nigeria has openly declared that it did not see any reason why Zimbabwe should be suspended from the Commonwealth and continues to reel under sanctions. As a result of all this, the troika meeting which constitutes Nigeria, South Africa and Australia is this time likely to split up — between doves and hawks — over its strategy to pursue in view of the numerous diplomatic failures by Britain and its allies to hoodwink the world over Zimbabwe. A self-destructive revolt is currently fermenting within the ranks of EU where France has come under severe attacks for having invited President Mugabe to attend the African heads of state summit in Paris. It has now become clear to the rest of the world, especially in Africa, that what is at stake in Zimbabwe is an issue of sovereignty, and not racial discrimination as witnessed by the fact that disgruntled or dispossessed farmers in Zimbabwe have been assured of land under the land reform exercise. This truth has rendered any fresh effort by the British to demonise Zimbabwe futile and self-destructive. What is most interesting about this is that Britain’s efforts exposed some of its allies such as Australia to heavy scrutiny concerning their human rights records. A scholar with the Genocide Studies Centre of Australia recently remarked that "if there was a race between democratic nations to see who could best address the violation of the human rights (of its original people), Australia would be coming stone motherless last." With such a record where Australia is known for its abuse of the indigenous Aborigine communities, one wonders how John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, who is known for abusing the Aborigines, could have been allowed the honour to announce to the world the suspension of Zimbabwe during the last troika meeting in London.
The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni Uganda is in Anarchy" Le groupe de transmission de Mulindwas " avec Yoweri Museveni, Ouganda est dans anarchy " |
