the knowledge that nothing will be done to hasten his departure from power and that the majority of African Heads of State approve of what he does.
“These are the only conclusions to be drawn from the fact that Mbeki’s latest tactic of allowing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to make the running has failed. After silent diplomacy which bore no fruit at all, there was a period when nothing was done. Recently the tone of voice of the ANC government changed slightly and Mbeki agreed with British Prime Minister Blair that Annan should be the one to tell Mugabe to go,” said Gibson
“Mugabe has now outplayed Annan, who has reported that he will allow the International Mediator (former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa) to carry on with his work. Predictably, Mugabe will not cooperate with the mediator and we will be back at square one. The difference this time will be that Zimbabwe’s human rights violations (as reported in 2004) are now not condemned or even judged by African Heads of State. Ministers ensured last week that this report would not be on the agenda for the Heads of State.”
Gibson said those who cared about the African union could only shake their heads and
wonder whether the sad past of the OAU is to be repeated. – Staff reporter
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