Maputo Britain wants to give Zimbabwes inclusive government a chance of success, the British Minister for Africa, Mark Malloch-Brown, told a Maputo press conference on Tuesday but he made clear that British development aid is dependent on improvements in the human rights situation and the restoration of the rule of law in Zimbabwe.We are engaged, but it is a cautious engagement, he said. Were not yet convinced that (President Robert) Mugabe and those around him are committed to a democratic transition.
He pointed out that Britain remains the second largest bilateral aid donor to Zimbabwe this is mainly humanitarian aid, to cope with the disastrous food security and health situation.
Malloch-Brown stressed that Britain wanted to see an end to political violence and to farm seizures, and advances in constitutional reforms and in preparation of fresh elections. We want to continue providing aid but on condition that the government implement its own agreement, the GPA (Global Political Agreement the document signed in September 2008 between Mugabes ZANU-PF and the two factions of the Movement for Democratic Change, which is the basis for the current coalition government).
But Malloch-Brown warned that British aid would halt if there is a reversal, if there are attacks on opposition supporters or other violence.
Asked about the attendance of an indicted war criminal, Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, at the COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) summit held in Harare at the weekend, Malloch-Brown doubted whether Bashir would be able to make such an appearance in a couple of years time. He noted that the Sudanese dictator had been unable to attend the inauguration of South African President Jacob Zuma.
Since Zimbabwe is not a signatory to the treaty setting up the International Criminal Court (ICC), Malloch-Brown though it was difficult to argue that Zimbabwe had broken international law in this instance.
Nonetheless, international law was beginning to thrive in Africa. The ICC statute has been ratified by 30 African countries, and it has received cases referred to it by Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic. Furthermore, the ICC successfully ruled on the disputed Bakassi peninsula, and the settlement reached has subsequently been accepted by both parties to the dispute, Nigeria and Cameroon.
Malloch-Brown believed the ICC has a pivotal role in justice in Africa.
Asked about the refusal of Mugabes regime to respect the ruling from the SADC (Southern African Development Community) tribunal that struck down as unlawful much of the Zimbabwean land reform, and demanded that the government cease its harassment of white commercial farmers, Malloch-Brown though it was Mugabes violation of Zimbabwes commitments under the SADC treaty that had spurred SADC into its marathon diplomatic endeavour that had led to the current inclusive government.
He did not echo the criticisms that have frequently been made of SADCs quiet diplomacy. Indeed Malloch-Brown thought there are not many other ways of bringing a government to comply with regional and court rulings.
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