Scruples, Principles and Victims
It's beyond sad that African countries appear to care more for defying former imperialist occupiers than opposing a tyrant within their midst who continues to victimize his own people. They have elected, almost unanimously, and with few very modestly-quiet abstentions, to protect a symbol of defiance. In the process willingly sacrificing a helpless population to the totalitarian whims of a self-obsessed, aged tyrant.When will Africa abandon its timidity in settling its internal affairs to better reflect the maturity of a continent which insists it is capable of providing for its own? The African Union has been incapable of providing a solution to the ongoing disaster in Sudan. Yet they will not see fit to work alongside a United Nations contingent in defiance of Sudan's refusal to accept an outside army - and the country's obsession with defeating rebel Sudanese - in the process murdering Darfurians beyond number.
The European Union is preparing its annual summit with the African Union. Britain's new prime minister, while threatening tougher sanctions against Zimbabwe, also has made it known that he will not attend the joint summit if Robert Mugabe attends. Diplomatic contact with such a contentiously contemptible figure really does go beyond the obligations of statehood. It has the effect of empowering the already robust feeling of entitlement for this brutal dictator.
Yet Zimbabwe's African neighbours, knowing the desperate plight the country has succumbed to under the criminally debilitating mismanagement of President Mugabe have accepted a state of frozen inaction. It's generally hands-off criticism of a grizzled old warrior who, while once deserving of admiration in battling colonialism, now stands rightfully condemned of sacrificing his country's wealth to his personal ambition.
Ghana, which now presides over the African Union, insists that Mr. Mugabe remain an honoured member of the enclave, receiving equal consideration extended to the full membership in good standing. Britain's European allies well understand Mr. Brown's frustrated renunciation of extending political and social courtesy to a totalitarian monster whose erratic governance has beggared his people.
But they also insist that they are prepared to attend the summit with Mr. Mugabe in attendance, rather than a diplomatic government substitute, claiming this will gain them an opportunity to publicly inform the Zimbabwean president of their perception of his crippling measures on the economic and social fortunes of his country. Not likely they will succeed in their kid-gloves approach to impair this megalomaniac's self-regard.
What can any sane, rational onlooker think of the inaction by African Union members in the face of Zimbabwe's desperate straits? Well Africa is so resistant to criticism, however well deserved from any outside source and all the more so from the mouthpieces of their former colonial masters they remain complacent about Zimbabwe and rigidly opposed to interference in their affairs.
The Tanzanian president of the Pan-African Parliament has gone so far as to accuse Mr. Brown of "arm-twisting". Rather than engage in some introspection to ascertain the cause of the outrage and frustration evinced by the British Prime Minister against the ongoing criminal oppression of Zimbabwe by an horribly incapable and ultimately state-destructive administrator.
But as Gertrude Mongella of Tanzania would have it: "I think this is again another way of manipulating Africa. Zimbabwe is a nation which got independence. In the developed countries there are so many countries doing things which not all of us subscribe to." A poor excuse to say the least for a destructively chauvinistic attitude, sacrificing the futures of Zimbabweans.
Labels: Political Realities, World Crises
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, September 22, 2007
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