Unified action needed to resolve crisis

Deep divisions between African countries and the West over how to deal with the current crisis in Zimbabwe was hampering efforts to help break the political impasse in the country, an international think-tank said this week. In its latest report titled 'Zimbabwe, The Politics of National Liberation and International Division', the International Crisis Group (ICG) said the lack of a unified response had allowed President Robert Mugabe "to believe that he can exploit the policy fissures between the West and Africa". The Brussels-based group also pointed to the foreign media's skewed emphasis on forced land evictions, saying that by focusing on the plight of white commercial farmers, the media had inadvertently given Mugabe's liberation rhetoric greater resonance in many African countries. "Foreign medias' emphasis on the plight of white farmers reinforces the erroneous but widespread belief in Africa that the West is concerned about Zimbabwe only because white property interests have been harmed," the report said. Instead, the ICG suggested more should be made of allegations of human rights abuses, the dismantling of democratic institutions, and the destruction of the rule of law. Zimbabwe's current crisis of governance was because of it poor economic performance in recent years and the current food shortages, the crisis group said. Almost six million Zimbabweans face critical food shortages, mainly due to drought and the government's land programme. The report echoed concerns that the escalating economic crisis could further destabilise the region, particularly South Africa, by driving tens of thousands more refugees out of Zimbabwe and into neighbouring states. "South Africa does not yet appear to be sufficiently convinced of the imminence of the threat to its own stability with sufficient energy, especially as it seems to fear the impact of Mugabe's charges that it is in collusion with the West," the report said. This week, South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki said his government would continue engaging all sectors of Zimbabwean society. However, he pointed out that Zimbabwe's troubles and the concomitant media attention it had received had served as a "smokescreen for those who did not want to address Africa's other problems". Earlier this month Zimbabwe was replaced as deputy chair of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) in what diplomats considered a sign of the region's displeasure with Mugabe's policies. But the regional body has opposed sanctions, which have been imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States and European Union. The crisis group called on South Africa and Nigeria to revive efforts to negotiate an inter-party solution between the ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. Also, it recommended broader African pressure to ensure that the ruling ZANU-PF restore the rule of law and establish conditions for free and fair elections. Furthermore, the ICG said the international response to the crisis was still characterised by "too much bark and too little bite". The report suggested a much more nuanced two-track diplomatic strategy for the United States and the European Union "of strong and public actions to isolate the regime while quietly applying pressure on key African states to encourage more resolute action". Among the measures recommended by the ICG were targeted sanctions that are better enforced and extended beyond ZANU-PF's leadership to include the regime's commercial supporters and bankers and family members, particularly those studying in the West. The ICG also accused the government of blatantly using emergency food aid as a political weapon against opposition supporters. The group recommended that food donors shine the spotlight on the politicisation of food aid and make all food relief conditional on ensuring that everyone receives assistance regardless of political affiliation. Access the report