THE African Union has dismissed as "not logical" calls by the Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga and activist Archbishops, Desmond Tutu and John Sentamu, to send troops to Zimbabwe to topple President Robert Mugabe.
The current chairman of the regional grouping, President Kikwete of Tanzania, issued a statement Tuesday saying military intervention in Zimbabwe was not an option.
He made it clear that the AU did not back calls for tougher action on Zimbabwe, saying only dialogue could solve the country's problems.
The statement, issued through his spokesman, Salva Rweyemamu, read: "We have a serious humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. We have cholera. Do they (those leaders calling for military intervention) think that we can eradicate cholera with guns?"
"Only dialogue between the Zimbabwean parties, supported by the AU and other regional actors, can restore peace and stability to that country," added Rweyemamu.
Rweyemamu said the AU was unrelenting in its efforts to seek a peaceful resolution to the Zimbabwean crisis.
In a separate interview with VOA, Rweyemamu reiterated President Kikwete’s sentiments that dialogue was the only option.
“The position of the AU and that of Tanzania has always been consistent,” he added. “And this position was basically articulated in the ….. sheik summit which said the process in Zimbabwe is an AU process, but it will basically be handed over to Sadc and President Mbeki will be the negotiator in the process.”
“The AU does not mention force in its determination. What was decided was that Au should encourage dialogue in Zimbabwe and that remains the situation now.”
Quizzed on claims by political commentators that the AU and Sadc had failed to resolve the situation in Zimbabwe, the spokesman said: “The signing of an MoU between the main political parties was a result of the AU, Sadc effort, and the effort by President Thabo Mbeki.”
He added that the parties to the power-sharing negotiations should now look for a way to make that agreement operational.
Rweyemamu said it was “unfair” to criticize African leaders for all the efforts that have been going on in the region.
Commenting on the “impatience” of Kenya and Botswana whose leaders have in the past few days called for the ouster of President Mugabe through force, he said: “Well these are political processes and such processes take a long time.”
“I don’t think that the use of force in Zimbabwe will solve the problems of Zimbabwe overnight, for instance, right now the most critical issue in Zimbabwe is the humanitarian crisis which has been caused by cholera. I think we should be concentrating on that.”
He said that those countries (Kenya and Botswana) could make their own decisions outside the framework of the AU, Sadc, but invasion is not the most logical solution at this point.
“In that context, Tanzania is sending a big consignment of medicines to solve that (Cholera) problem,” he added.
ZIMBABWE ON HIGH ALERT
Meanwhile the Zimbabwean government has indicated that its troops were on high alert.
The Minister of Information and Publicity, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, said "The Zimbabwe Government is taking serious measures to offset any threats, any further sanctions on our people. Any interference shall not be tolerated.”
|
|
zeina • zeina@yahoo.com
Subject: sea_tel@yahoo.com
Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:43:22 • Paul...leave politics and stay with your day job..its ple like U that will always drag us back and keep us africans from progressing..what logic is in Odinga's statement to send troops in zimbabwe in order to stablize this in zimbabwe...the AU is right War is not the answer!since 1979 zimbabwe has never had civil war...
Our economy has already been crippled becaeuse of the sanctions imposed on our country and some loops in our government.Zimbabwe currently can not handle the cholera outbreak beacuse we are not fully equiped...l am guesssing you beleive that by sending troops in Zimbabwe it will eradicate the outbreak of cholera.NONSENSE.!
Talk about Odinga...how many innocent Kenyeans were killed and displaced during their elections!Hypocrite!he is not fit to be president!his policies will destroy Africa.
n/a • n/a
Subject: Cholera
Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:12:17 • Paul- If you think that some trigger happy war -monger will use the cholera epidemic to effect regime change, then whoever it is will meet stiiff resistance from Zimbabweans. The liberation war was not fought and won by the Zim army. It was fought and won by the peasants. We fought for our land and not some concept called democracy and the land will be defended vigourously cholera epidemic or not. The reason why the masses of Zim have not risen against the govt is because that message of freedom and empowerment that was instilled into the nation during the liberation war still burns brightly in our hearts. We know Tsvangirai is a proxy of the West and wants to give the West an opportunity to re-colonise us and exploit our resources.This will be firmly resisted. Zimbabweans were very ill equiped during the liberation war but who can forget the good hiding Smith got from a determined people. We had truth and justice on our side and were able to fight and resoundingly defeat a more superior army. Ask Roy Bennett (the tresurer of the MDC-T party) about the bloody hiding that he and his likes got during that period. We Zimbabweans understand the horrors of war and that is why we want a peaceful resoulution of our problems. No sane Zimbabwe will die for the MDC-T cause.We spent almost 100 years dying for colonialism in Zimbabwe and are not prepared to shed a single drop of blood for neo-colonialism under the guise of democracy as preached by Tsvangirai, Roy Bennett and the West, Just remove the sanctions and Zimbabwe will rise again.
Omugabe • Dziva@sanandresano.com
Subject: Look Inward & Look East for Self-development, Zim Patriots!
Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:33:16 • Demon Odinga should send his thugs to Zimbabwe; in this way, the Zim Patriots could do with them that the Kenyan police refused to do when they were slaughtering fellow Africans in the hundreds over a stupid, evil and divisive eurocentric election in Kenya.
As for those senile souls and African mental slaves from the Anglican Christian Institution of Child Sodomy, Zim Patriots would not even touch them; because they are deep in the filth of their child victims.
If there is to be any AU fighting force in Africa, it should be to repatriate STOLEN African Lands, Wealth and Resources from the racist invading criminals still remaining on African Lands in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, etc.
Long Live Zim Patriots to run out the racist invaders from African space, and bring pride to the past efforts of the ancestors and the future Peace, Progress and Prosperity of Zim Patriots yet to come.
Patrick Fletcher • hajray@gmail.com
Subject: AU rejects call for troops in Zimbabwe
Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:55:25 • Its a long time coming, but I am glad that the AU send that message of war NOT being an option. What that tells me is that the AU fully recognize that the EU and the West at large are not only trying to undermine Zimbabwe, but also trying to undermine the AU.
N/A • n/a
Subject: Cholera
Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:48:28 • It is people like PAUL who are failures themselves and would turn around to play the blame game. Zimbabwe has been progressing well up until the sanctions.
Are telling us that Odinga sees logic better than all the other Leaders. MaTeaboy magara makafa brain. Munofunga kuti zvataurwa nemurungu ndizvo zvinemusoro nguva dzese.
It is people like Paul who even if a British was to insult his mother he would smile and say thank you baas.Even if you were to find your wife in bed with a white man you would still think its Ok nekuti arara nemurungu.
You better be told Botswana alone without the aid of American soldiers does not stand a chance against Zimbabwe.Our soldiers can not loose sleep over Botswana, This is a job of the Police Support Unit.Even if we want change for our country to be invaded just because there is a cholera out break is ridiculous.Are we the first country to have a cholera out break in the world.? Odinga killed many Kenyans so he could be PM. Why was Kenya not invaded? Rwanda is backing rebels in DRC why is it that Kenya is not singing the invasion of that country.
I wonder if this idiot PAUL is a Zimbabwean. If you think by calling for the invasion you will get back your farm then keep the drream alive.
VIVA Zimbabwe we will come out strong and more united forever.
Gift Honi • gifthoni@vodamail.co.za
Subject: Raila Odinga
Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:58:27 • My God I'm not what is that Odinga smoked, this should impeached by the progressive people of Kenya, I can now understand why Kibaki refused to give in to this imbecile/clod during this year early elections. You see, Odinga never in my whole life have I ever seen a country's leadership so naive like yours to an extent of declaring public holiday on the result of the other nation's elections, to me this naivity at its purest form and then go on to promote violence, war and regime change in Zimbabwe. You see Odinga, I'm South African, like Zimbabweans have suffred under settler colonialism: When white interests are threatened that country gets severe brutality and sanctions unprecedented in history using colonial media, not promoting death, people died in Rwanda in their thousands, the UN did nothing because white folks had no interests there. So in the nutshell Odinga go get a life.
Paul • sea_tel@yahoo.com
Subject: AU rejects call for troops in Zimbabwe
Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:13:49 • When was the AU ever logical. It is another grouping who among their ranks can not talk to each other frankly about serious issues/situations. The cholera in Zimbabwe is a result of failure by the Zim Gvt to improve the infrastructure it inherited 28 years ago. Other failures include the unruly behavior of Zanu people in their disrespect of the rule of law and human rights. Is it fair that our former colonisers are now the people advocating that our rights be respected, while our so called liberators have taken those rights from us.
This is a serious situation that the AU can not manage and the leaders are selfishly downplaying the need for a change of Gvt. I wish someone could just kick A** and liberate my people for real and give them true power to chart their own futures in a new era.
How dare the AU wants to advice the inventors of the Cholera medications that guns will not end the Cholera problem. That goes to show that even in some of the seemingly stable countries the leaders are stupid.
At time l wish l had a way of solving this issue once and for all. Our fellow African brothers are full of S**t. If we hope that the AU will be there for the Zimbabwean people then it is our demise that follows.
|
