Maravi

Force is not an option for Zimbabwe

Force is not an option for Zimbabwe
By Editor
Sunday July 06, 2008 [04:00]

THERE should be no talk of a military solution to the Zimbabwean political crisis. Military invasion of Zimbabwe should not be an option in any way and for anyone. Force is a senseless option for Zimbabwe. There should be a realisation that the current problems being faced by Zimbabwe cannot be resolved by force.

Sadly, it is this arrogant approach through the use of unnecessary force that is today escalating the spread of political violence which indeed has left a huge and ugly mark on the face of humanity in our generation.

We do understand that violence has always been an instrument of the worst enemies of mankind bent on suppressing and crashing the people's struggle for freedom. And in this vein, it can never be the instrument of a truly noble and just cause. But this does not warrant the use of force in addressing and resolving the world's problems or political crises.

We currently have a military invasion of Somalia by Ethiopia, sponsored and financed by some rich and powerful country. This invasion is without the sanction of the United Nations or the African Union. And what has it achieved in Somalia? More and more deaths, more and more destruction, more and more despair, displacements and helplessness. It seems to be an endless war.

We have also seen a similar situation in Afghanistan where over the last six years, after toppling the Taliban regime, NATO forces led by the United States are failing to defeat a ragtag army or rather militia. Another endless war with consequences that are not difficult to guess.

The situation is not different in Iraq. And as former French president Jacques Chirac once correctly observed, there is very little, if anything, to show that the unilateral war on Iraq by the United States and its allies had made the world a safer place.

In spite of the propaganda the United States may try to trumpet around the world, the world - and indeed Iraq - is not safer than it used to be. This war has instead provoked reactions, such as the mobilisation in a number of countries, of men and women of Islam, which has made the world more dangerous. There is no doubt that there has been an increase in terrorism and one of the origins of that has been the situation in Iraq.

The world cannot be saved unless a path of international peace and cooperation is pursued. And every effort should be made towards eradicating political violence without the need to unleash senseless and perhaps endless wars.

It is indeed regrettable that it has been under our generation that the world seems to have increasingly turned a blind eye to peaceful resolution wherever there is a conflict. This is not right, and indeed, poses a great threat to our very existence, especially with the current arms race the world is experiencing.

We have always stated that the world does not need the current Western hegemony that we are experiencing today, where a nation can override the sovereignty of another without regard even for the United Nations or abusing their influence in the United Nations.

The world certainly does not need the current world order that perpetuates the suffering and poverty of the developing nations - a world order that continues to exploit the poor, the weak. What we need is to indeed reform the world order if the world is to become a safer place.

The international community should build a world conscience against political violence, including terrorism. Only the intelligent policy of seeking strength through consensus and the honest international public opinion can decidedly uproot this problem.

And instead of starting and continuing senseless wars, there is every need for the world to really start to focus more seriously on challenges like poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy, which continue to daily afflict the lives of billions of people.

There is need by all to strive for a fairer, just and humane world. If the world does not take this path, people would become poorer, and the world less secure.

Our call is on our political leaders, and indeed the world at large, to reflect seriously on the state of our world.

The current instability cannot be solved by force.

But we shouldn't forget that wars are rooted in the very essence of imperialism; they end only when the imperialist system ceases to exist, or when the immensity of human and financial sacrifice caused by the development of military technique, and the indignation which armaments arouse in the people, lead to the elimination of the system.

That's what dialectics teaches us. That all dividing lines, both in nature and society, are conventional and dynamic, and that every phenomenon might under certain conditions, be transformed into its opposite, is, of course, a basic proposition of dialectics.

Not infrequently have dialectics served as a bridge for sophistry. But we remain dialecticians and we combat sophistry not by denying the possibility of all transformations in general, but by analysing the given phenomenon in its concrete setting and development.

All forms of political violence should cease in Zimbabwe. And it is senseless for any Zimbabwean to, in any way, think that their country's current political problems can be resolved by violence or force. It is equally stupid for political leaders of any country to think they can resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis by a military invasion.

Yes, they can bomb Harare and other cities and drive out Mugabe and his regime from the capital but we doubt if this will make Zimbabwe a peaceful country, a governable country and bring an end to violence. Such an action may lead to the beginning of an endless war in that country that may destabilise our region for a very long time.

moreover, it’s folly for anyone to think Mugabe's regime will be driven out so easily and without firing a shot. They have the right to defend themselves. And we don't think it is a crime to defend oneself, in one way or another.

It is the most legitimate thing one can do, because if one doesn't, one should resign and get the hell out. And the world knows that the state that doesn't defend itself is cut to ribbons.

The use of force can surely be avoided in Zimbabwe. And with calmness, tolerance and respect for each other, Zimbabweans can over time resolve their political differences and govern their country in a way they deem fit and best suited to their circumstances.

Let's encourage reconciliation, negotiations and a peaceful settlement of the Zimbabwean political crisis. Let us avoid and discourage the use of force in any efforts to resolve the Zimbabwean political crisis.

Labels: COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, NEOCOLONIALISM, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 6:22 PM