G8 concerned about events in Zimbabwe

The world's industrialised countries meeting in Evian, France, on Tuesday expressed "concern about reports of further violence by the authorities in Zimbabwe against their own people". This follows continuing clashes between security forces and protestors on the second day of a stayaway called by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The Africa Institute said it was evident that the crisis in Zimbabwe was "a drag on Africa and NEPAD [the New Partnership for Africa's Development]". The week-long "final push" organised by the MDC against President Robert Mugabe's government coincided with the Group of Eight (G8) summit. Leaders of South Africa, Nigeria and Senegal were in attendance at Evian, hoping to put NEPAD at the top of the G8's agenda. But their efforts may have been dealt a blow by international reaction to the events in Zimbabwe, said Dr Siphamandla Zondi, political analyst at The Africa Institute. South Africa, Nigeria and Senegal have been the champions of NEPAD on the continent and abroad. Nigeria and South Africa have also been intimately involved with trying to find a resolution to Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis, both as members of the Commonwealth troika - along with Australia - and as members of the African Union. On Tuesday, news reports said banks and most businesses in Zimbabwe's major cities were closed for the second day running, and police had once again clashed with protestors. Zimbabwe police spokesman, Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said roughly 200 people had been arrested since the stayaway protest began on Monday. "We are still fully deployed on the ground ... We will remain deployed until the situation is normal," he told IRIN. The MDC meanwhile claimed that about 250 people were arrested in Harare alone. In the G8 chairman's summary, French President Jacques Chirac said: "We called on the government of Zimbabwe to respect the right to peaceful demonstration. Consistent with the fundamental principles of the NEPAD partnership, we welcomed the contribution of other African states to promoting a peaceful resolution of the crisis and a prosperous and democratic future for the people of Zimbabwe." Dr Zondi believes this was a compromise statement and fell short of demanding immediate action on Zimbabwe. At the same time it put pressure on South Africa, Nigeria and other African states to find a resolution in Zimbabwe "consistent with the fundamental principles of the NEPAD partnership", as the statement noted. "[The statement] is an attempt to put pressure on them to get moving, but also to do so in a manner that shows the G8 understands the complexities of the problem," said Zondi. He also said it was understandable that the MDC wanted to use the Evian summit to highlight the problems in Zimbabwe - the timing of the protests "guaranteed media coverage, put pressure on African leaders [attending the summit] and the G8 leaders." "Because of the tough situation that Africans face at the G8 - because of NEPAD and Zimbabwe - it will put pressure on all key African leaders to make sure they put their all into the process of trying to bring [the ruling] ZANU-PF and the MDC together, and get some dialogue going to resolve that crisis, because it is damaging for Africa," he concluded.