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African
summit seeks consensus
on Zimbabwe
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 SHARM
EL-SHEIKH, Egypt(July 2,2008)
- An African Union summit on Tuesday tried to overcome divisions on
how to deal with the re-election of President Robert Mugabe in a poll
condemned around the world.
Summit sources said the leaders were divided between those who wanted
a strong statement about Zimbabwe and others who were reluctant to
publicly censure the veteran leader, who extended his 28-year rule
in a one-candidate election last Friday.
Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma, a member of the West and
East African group most critical of Mugabe told BBC radio: "The
people of Zimbabwe have been denied their democratic rights. We should,
in no uncertain terms, condemn what has happened."
Koroma said the southern African group must engage Mugabe and opposition
leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who withdrew from the ballot because of
attacks on his supporters, in talks leading to a transitional government
and fresh elections.
But Mugabe spokesman George Charamba rejected the idea of the Kenya-style
power-sharing solution floated by several summit leaders to end a
crisis that has saddled Zimbabwe with the world's worst hyper-inflation
and strained neighbouring states with millions of refugees. "Kenya
is Kenya. Zimbabwe is Zimbabwe. We have our own history of evolving
dialogue and resolving political impasses the Zimbabwean way. The
Zimbabwean way, not the Kenyan way. Not at all," Charamba said.
Mugabe threatened before the summit to confront his critics and suggested
he would point back at leaders who themselves were in power undemocratically.
The AU traditionally favours consensus and analysts said the divisions
might be overcome with a statement that called for negotiations but
stopped short of condemning the election or refusing to recognise
Mugabe, 84.
"They will dodge the bullet. They won't expressly recognise him
but they won't kick him out of the session," a senior delegate
told Reuters.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who defeated Mugabe in the first
round in March, withdrew from the poll after saying government-backed
violence had killed nearly 90 supporters. He has called on the summit
not to recognise the election.
A South African newspaper on Friday said President Thabo Mbeki, the
designated regional negotiator in Zimbabwe was close to brokering
a deal that would have Mugabe and Tsvangirai negotiate a unity government.
The issue of who would lead such a government remains a possibly insuperable
stumbling block, although both sides say they are ready for talks.
"The plan involves getting Mugabe and Tsvangirai to work together
to implement agreements between ZANU-PF and the Movement for Democratic
Change made in January. These include a new constitution and other
reforms," Business Day said.
Mbeki spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga refused to comment on the report.
"We've been in talks with both parties. I can't talk about the
specific details."
Mugabe was sworn in for a new five-year term on Sunday after election
authorities announced he had won more than 85 percent of the vote
in an election which three African monitoring groups said was unfair.
Tsvangirai left the Dutch embassy in Harare on Tuesday after taking
refuge for more than a week, the Dutch government said.
Tesco, one of Britain's biggest supermarket chains, said it would
stop buying produce from Zimbabwe to support pressure for an end to
its escalating political crisis.
African leaders, deeply reluctant to criticise each other publicly,
have previously appeared over-awed by Mugabe's status as a hero of
the anti-colonial struggle. But the conduct of the election provoked
unprecedented criticism from within Africa.
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