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(HERALD) US seeks to undermine Mbeki’s mediation role

US seeks to undermine Mbeki’s mediation role
Herald Reporters

WITH 25 days left to the run-off, the United States government has intensified efforts to abet the regime change agenda in Zimbabwe by trying to have the region sideline South African President Thabo Mbeki as official mediator in Zimbabwe in favour of the leadership of Zambia and Botswana.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa recently received US$71 million from the US and began making a series of questionable decisions and pronouncements on Zimbabwe, the latest of which was his attempt to convene a special summit on Zimbabwe on the sidelines of the just-ended 4th Tokyo Conference on International Development.

A meeting held in Washington DC on May 28 and attended by, among others, Zimbabwean journalist Ray Choto, who is now a senior editor with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Project at the Voice of America’s Studio 7, urged Sadc leaders to ‘‘apply focused pressure on (President) Mugabe to leave’’.

The meeting, held at the Woodrow Wilson Centre, was also attended by Jamal Jafari, formerly with the British-funded Amani Trust in Harare; Dileepan Sivapathasundaram, an activist once arrested in Zimbabwe for assisting the opposition with technical support; and Gayle Smith, a journalist who has worked in Africa for more than 20 years.

The meeting resolved that while the US government could be the engine that drives ‘‘a solution’’, the details of such a solution should arise from partnerships with regional governments.

"Past regional efforts have presumed that South Africa would take the lead in negotiations with Zimbabwe due to the close relationship of the two countries and its reputation as an economic powerhouse on the continent. However, efforts have not been backed by action.

"The US should sidestep South Africa and conduct continued high-level consultations with other key Sadc members, specifically Zambia and Botswana," the document says.

The meeting suggested that the new approach ahead of the run-off should consider both political settlement and diplomatic intervention as possible solutions to the ‘‘Zimbabwean crisis’’.

"In the absence of a process to seat the legitimate winner, international actors should assist with negotiating a transitional authority that would oversee the development of a popularly supported constitution, paving the way for free and fair elections.

"The US diplomats should," the meeting averred, "impose a cost through their diplomats who should urge the UN Security Council to investigate allegations of violence in the country and impose targeted sanctions on Government officials.

"The US and its European allies on the Security Council should press for the case of Zimbabwe to be referred to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court."

In the event that the above approach fails to yield the desired result, the US government was urged to use the "carrot-and-stick" approach to achieve a deal that would "develop and present a proposal for a settlement, including immediate financial and reconstruction assistance, after (President) Mugabe’s exit".

Part of the "carrot approach" is to convince militia members to disband with promises of assistance from the international community while the "stick approach" entails referring the case to the ICC, imposing targeted personal sanctions and isolating Zimbabwe.

In conclusion, the document urges Sadc leaders to "publicly recognise gross abuses of law by Zanu-PF and develop an African solution to an African problem by applying focused

pressure on (President) Mugabe to leave, side by side with meaningful incentives for a solution".

"The West should provide support for this effort, but be prepared to take strong action should that pressure fail to materialise," the document says.

Such efforts by the US have led some Sadc leaders to convene meetings to discuss Zimbabwe, starting with the Lusaka summit called for by President Mwanawasa in April this year where the region reiterated its support of President Mbeki’s role as mediator.

Last week Mr Mwanawasa tried to convene another meeting on Zimbabwe at the TICAD summit but was snubbed by other leaders.

This comes amid revelations that the British were also changing their regime change agenda approach by roping in churches in Zimbabwe and Britain.

The opposition MDC-T has also been calling for President Mbeki’s head. accusing him of supporting Zanu-PF and President Mugabe.

In a letter Morgan Tsvangirai purportedly wrote to President Mbeki on May 13, the opposition leader accuses the South African President of "complicity and connivance with Zanu-PF".

Labels: MWANAWASA, THABO MBEKI, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 8:30 AM