We Failed on Zimbabwe, Says Obasanjo
Reactions trail Harare's pull-out
From Isichei Osamgbi, Josephine Lohor, Iyefu Adoba in Abuja and Paul Ohia in Lagos with agency reports
This Day
Dateline: 09/12/2003 01:18:42
President Olusegun Obasan-jo, who is the Chairperson-In-Office of the Common-wealth, yesterday said the 54-nation group has failed in its effort to resolve the issue regarding the suspension of Zimbabwe and its subsequent pull out from the group.
Addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, at the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Gov-ernment Meeting (CHOGM), Obasanjo noted that the Group of three, made of himself, President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and John Howard of Australia, could not come up with the appropriate resolution of the matter, despite several efforts.
However, Pakistan whose suspension from the Common-wealth was not lifted by the CHOGM in Abuja said it has no intention of joining Zimbabwe in pulling out of the organisation.
Obasanjo, who at the news briefing was accompanied by the Commonwealth Secretary General, Mr. Donald McKin-non, noted that the Zimbab-wean leader, President Robert Mugabe, ostensibly pulled out, as an ultimate
reaction to his continued suspension, which he believes is more than enough.
The Nigerian leader said Mugabe told him of his intention in their telephone conversation immediately after the suspension was reaffirmed.
"I have maintained that the troika failed because our mandate in Coolum is very clear. Three of us were given a mandate to look at the report of the Commonwealth observer team on the Zimbabwean election and take appropriate action. We got the report of the team and when we looked at it we saw that something had to be done. We suspended Zimbabwe from all the councils of the Common-wealth for a period of one year and we said it should be revisited after a year. For some unknown reason our chairman said it should be revisited six months after we started. We met here and instead of looking at the measure we were taking, he wants more sanctions, some of us felt that was not right. Our mandate was not to meet periodically and add sanctions and add sanctions", he
said.
Obasanjo noted that though Zimbabwe's pull out from the organisation, just like its suspension, was inevitable, he was still going to remain constructively engaged in trying to find an amicable solution to the issue. He added that he would in a week's time, send a delegation to Harare to talk with Mugabe.
CHOGM had endorsed the Committee's recommendations on the Zimbabwean issue and in retaining the suspension decided as follows:
- Heads of Government affirmed the Commonwealth's commitment to encourage and assist the process of national reconciliation.
- Heads of Government mandated the Chairperson-in-Office, assisted by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, to engage with the parties concerned to encourage and facilitate continued progress and the return of Zimbabwe to the Councils of the Commonwealth and, in this regard, express support for the intention of the Chairperson-in-Office to visit Zimbabwe at an early opportunity.
- At an appropriate time when the Chairperson-in-Office belie-ved sufficient progress had been made, he would consult the Committee.
- Provided there were consensus in the Committee that sufficient progress had been made on the issues of concern, the Chairperson-in-Office would consult with Commonwealth leaders on the return of Zimbabwe to the Councils of the Commonwealth.
Earlier, Zimbabwe had late Sunday night made good its threat to quit the Commonwealth after the announcement by Obasanjo of the recommendations of the Group of Six, set up by the Abuja CHOGM, to extend its suspension indefinitely.
According to available reports, during a telephone conversation Sunday night with Presidents Obasanjo, Mbeki of South Africa and Patterson of Jamaica, Mugabe said he was withdrawing Zimbabwe immediately from the body of former British colonies.
"Anything that you agreed to on Zimbabwe which is short of this position-no matter how sweetly worded means Zimbab-we is still the subject of the Commonwealth. It is unacceptable. This is it. It's quits and quits it will be" Mugabe was quoted as saying.
Many Commonwealth leaders have continued to react both to the suspension of Zimbabwe, as well as its subsequent decision to pull out of the body;
John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, noted that the announcement of
Mugabe to pull Zimbabwe out of the body was "regrettable." He however, pointed out that the decision taken by the Commonwealth to extend the suspension on the South African country "is the only decision consistent with the Harare Principles."
Howard also expressed optimism that Zimbabwe could come back in the future. He added that nothing is permanent, noting that his concern now is for the Zimbabwean people.
"My concern really is for their
welfare more than anything else because they are suffering," he said, noting that the main issue now should be how to alleviate the sufferings of the ordinary Zimbabweans.
Also, Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer said the Commonwealth did the right thing in extending the suspension of Zimbabwe. Speaking while on an official visit to Indonesia, agency reports quoted him as saying that Zimbabwe might return under a new government after Mugabe.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, New
Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, described Mugabe's pull out from the Commonwealth as the President's determination to thumb its nose at international opinion.
"The decision of Zimbabwe's government to withdraw from the Commonwealth showed that Zimbabwe was determined to fly in the face of international opinion and concern about its abuses of democratic and human rights," the statement read.
President John Kuffor of Ghana noted that it was not the first time a nation was withdrawing from the Commonwealth. He added, however,that invariably the countries do come back into the fold when things get better. Citing the Nigerian case, Kuffor said, "You remember Nigeria was suspended, came back and today we are holding the Summit here. It's not the first time, so it's not a bad precedent."
Kuffor expressed optimism that with due course and through the good office of the Chairman- in- Office, Obasanjo, Zimbabwe would return to the fold of the Commonwealth.
President of the African Union, Mozambican, Joaquim Chissano reacting to the suspension however regretted the development which he said, fueled speculations that the house was divided on the Zimbabwean issue. "We are upset," he added.
His country was said to be the only one amongst the six-nation committee with open dissenting voice in the decision to continue with the suspension of Zimbabwe.
Other countries in the group of six set up by CHOGM in Abuja to review the situation are Jamaica, Canada, Australia, India and South Africa.
In another reaction to the Zimbabwean issue, British Foreign Minister, Jack Straw, who spoke in Brussels, venue of a meeting of the European Union said the pull out would be regretted by Zimbabwe. "I think it's entirely in character sadly with President Mugabe. I think it's a decision he and particularly the Zimbabweans will come to regret."
Expressing confidence in Zimbabwe's return to the Commonwealth whenever Mugabe
ceases to be President, Straw added, "all of his people have strong links with the Commonwealth but Mugabe will not be there forever."
Expressing the same opinion as Kuffor, Straw added "there are other countries that have been out of the Commonwealth including Nigeria for a period and who've come back. I look forward to a time when Zimbabwe has a democratic government and is back in the Commonwealth."
British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, had earlier before returning to the United Kingdom noted that it was necessary to handle the Zimbabwean issue once and for all, by continuing the slam on the country.
"The vast majority of countries - black or white or Asians, - are in favour of continuing the suspension because we can see that Zimbabwe is so clearly in breach of all the principles the Commonwealth stands for. And it is worth pointing out, many of these African countries sitting around the table are countries that have freed themselves from various types of
dictatorship and have now got functioning democracies, including here in Nigeria," he said.
Meanwhile, Pakistani officials said yesterday that they have no intention of following Zimbabwe and pulling out of the Commonwealth.
But it sharply criticised the Commonwealth for its continuing exclusion from the organisation's decision-making councils.
Pakistan's membership of the councils was suspended in 1999 after General Pervez Musharraf seized power in a coup.
Islamabad now says it has fulfilled the criteria to rejoin all Commonwealth bodies, but the delegates at the CHOGM summit in Abuja did not agree. Pakistan says its main adversary, India, is blocking the process.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman, Masood Khan, said the criteria used by the Commonwealth were discriminatory and did not make sense.
The negative image of Pakistan deprived the Commonwealth, he said, of vibrancy, instead of the organisation demonstrating more
democracy.
Pakistan argues that it has fulfilled the obligation to restore democracy after the military coup four years ago, with a fully functioning National Assembly formed after elections last year, and a civilian cabinet.
However, some Commonwealth leaders said the row over the sweeping powers assumed by Musharraf just before the elections and the fact that he still serves as the chief of army staff, means the transfer to democracy is not complete.
Khan said it was no secret that Pakistan's chief adversary, India, was blocking its return to the fold, despite support for the country from influential members like Britain and Australia.
This time, he said, India's negative vote had been decisive.
Mr Khan also took a swipe at India over the barbed-wire fence it is building along the Line of Control separating Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
India said the fence was meant to stop deadly incursions by Islamic militants. Khan
said the fence, now about a quarter complete along the 750-kilometre (470-mile) line, violated UN resolutions and bilateral agreements with India.
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