(TALKIZIMBABWE) AU to deal with Zim crisis conclusively: Ping

AU to deal with Zim crisis conclusively: Ping
Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:40:00 +0000
AU Commission chief H.E. Jean Ping

THE Chairperson African Union Commission said African leaders will try to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe once and for all during their 12th Summit in Addis Ababa this week if tomorrow’s meeting of regional Sadc leaders fails to come up with an agreement.

AU Commission chief H.E. Jean Ping told Pan African News Agency (PANA) that African leaders were committed to finding a solution to the political and economic crises in Zimbabwe and would take definite steps during their meeting on 1-3 February, to conclusively end the crisis.

"The issue of Zimbabwe would be raised during the Summit. We are committed to finding a solution. There is an urgent need to get out of the crisis," Ping told PANA.

The 12th AU Summit starts Monday January 26 — a date planned for the special summit on Zimbabwe — and ends February 3.

However, the Ordinary Session (or the Assembly) where all Heads of State and Government meet is scheduled for 1-3 February, 2008.

African leaders meeting in June 2008 in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh recommended the formation of an all-inclusive Government in Zimbabwe to end a political crisis.

Sadc and the AU are guarantors to the Global Political Agreement signed by the ruling Zanu PF party and the two formations of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

The Summit directed the Zimbabwean leaders to urgently negotiate modalities of finding a solution to the political crisis through the formation of a unity government, bringing on board members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Ping said many Sadc meetings have taken place, but were not conclusive.

"There are a under of meetings that have taken place in South Africa, unfortunately, they were not conclusive," Ping said adding that the wider regional grouping will be determined to break the current impasse and resolve the crisis.

Ping, who spoke on the sidelines of a pre-Summit meeting to discuss gender issues convened by a coalition of African Women Solidarity Network, said finding a solution to the Zimbabwean crisis, was among the top issues to be debated at the 12th AU Summit.

The AU delegated the South African Development Community (Sadc) the task of crafting a solution to the crisis in Zimbabwe, but there have been calls for more involvement in resolving the crisis.

International rights watchdog, Human Rights Watch, on Thursday, said it was 'way past time' for the African Union to intervene in Zimbabwe's political and economic crises.