Forget Annan and Mbeki’s kid-glove diplomacy

ite some denials, South Africa appears to be pushing for a direct meeting between Mbeki and Mugabe as well as with Annan.
The big question is: Why are they trying to be more proactively engaged on Zimbabwe now after so many wasted years and when they are at the end of their careers? Even Mugabe is supposedly expected to retire in 2008.
Is this an attempt by Mbeki, in particular, to redeem himself? When Mugabe finally retires is Mbeki hoping that the world will think he was instrumental in pushing for Mugabe’s retirement?
Annan is to all intents and purposes a sitting duck, meaning that not much can be expected from his efforts since he is six months away from retirement. Annan has not shown any active and robust efforts at pressuring Mugabe.
In remarkable contrast, Annan has been very forceful in the process that led to former president of Liberia Charles Taylor being brought to trial. He has also played a frontline role in pushing for a solution in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Yet both men have always treated Mugabe with kid gloves, even at the height one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises – Operation Murambatsvina.
The report of the African Commission for People’s and Human rights condemning human rights abuses in Zimbabwe has been treated like a piece trash by the leaders of the African Union. Efforts by the United Nations Human Rights Commission to condemn Mugabe were forcefully blocked by African countries led by South Africa.
Annan and Mbeki will reportedly meet Mugabe on the sidelines of the African Union summit in The Gambia. Zimbabwe will not even be on the agenda for the AU summit.
Britain’s inactivity can be largely explained by its economic interests in Zimbabwe. British Airways, for example, enjoys a profitable and near monopoly of the London to Harare route. As a matter of fact, it has become the most preferred airline for Mugabe’s officials both in government and party.For Britain and the international community there is another turf war with the Chinese. In a replay of Cold War politics, there is growing alarm that China is increasing by leaps and bounds its investments in Africa, particularly inZimbabwe. If Africa were to fall under the influence of the Chinese the West fears that it may not have easy access to the continent’s mineral and energy resources.
One way of containing the rising Chinese influence in Africa is for the West to make a counter offer of hefty investments. Mugabe may well have deliberately offered Zimbabwe for sale to the Chinese as a ploy to attract western investment.
The opposition movement, especially the MDC, must not waver in its key and non- negotiable demands for free and fair elections supervised by the international community, and held within a year.