"Because there is no legitimate government in Zimbabwe, the AU should
consider sending a peacekeeping force," he said. "This is what is going
to send a strong signal to one Mr Robert Mugabe."
Odinga was reacting to Zimbabwe’s refusal to grant visas to former US
president Jimmy Carter, former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, and
human rights advocate Graça Machel. The trio are members of The Elders,
a group dedicated to tackling global problems and fostering peace.
"As you know, Mugabe was a freedom fighter who spent many years in the
jail of former prime minister Ian Smith, but I don’t believe that when
you are a freedom fighter you acquire a title deed to own the nation,"
Odinga said.
He has repeatedly chided Mugabe’s regime since Zimbabwe’s elections
earlier this year led to a crisis, but has saved some criticism for the
rest of the continent’s leaders.
"Recently, (Mugabe) was in Kampala attending an African leaders’
meeting and … no one expressed a word about the situation in Zimbabwe,"
he said.
"To many African leaders, the situation in Zimbabwe has returned to
normalcy. But no wonder this is happening – it is because a number of
these leaders carry … baggage like that of Mugabe."
Annan, Carter and Machel met regional leaders and aid agencies over the
weekend, continuing efforts to ease Zimbabwe’s humanitarian crisis. The
trio said their mission was to assess the needs of Zimbabweans, many of
whom are battling with hunger and afflicted by disease.
They say their visit was not related to regional attempts to get Mugabe
and Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai to
implement their power-sharing deal.
Yesterday, they met President Ian Khama of Botswana and members of aid agencies and Zimbabwean social organisations.
They are to meet President Kgalema Motlanthe today.
"Our biggest concern is that the focus is moving away from the plight
of the Zimbabwean people, who are suffering through starvation and
diseases," Khama said after an earlier meeting with Motlanthe.
He said he and Motlanthe had agreed to "do anything in our power" to break the impasse in Zimbabwe.
Annan said on Saturday that Zimbabwe had given no official reason for refusing the trio visas for the mission.
But the Sunday Mail, a mouthpiece for the Zimbabwean government, quoted
Foreign Minister Samuel Mumbengegwi as saying Annan had failed to
consult the government about the "timing and programme" of the visit.
"We take strong exception to any suggestions that there are those out
there who care more about the welfare of our people than we do," he
said.
The MDC could boycott a meeting planned for this week in South Africa
on a constitutional bill that would allow Mugabe to form a unity
government, a senior party member has said. The meeting is to be
mediated by Thabo Mbeki.
"There is a strong feeling that attending the meeting would legitimise
a Southern African Development Community resolution rejected by the
MDC," the party source said.
The resolution called for the MDC and Zanu-PF to share the home affairs ministry, which is responsible for the police.
"We cannot continue engaging in this process when the SADC and Mbeki
refuse to take our legitimate concerns seriously." – Sapa-AP and
Reuters
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