South Africa's Thabo Mbeki has held talks in Harare with Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and members of a breakaway opposition faction. Mr Mbeki has been the chief regional negotiator on the Zimbabwe crisis, and has been trying to persuade Mr Mugabe to form a government of national unity. However, Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition party, declined to meet Mr Mbeki.
South Africa's Thabo Mbeki has held talks in Harare with Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and members of a breakaway opposition faction.
Mr Mbeki has been the chief regional negotiator on the Zimbabwe crisis, and has been trying to persuade Mr Mugabe to form a government of national unity.
However, Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition party, declined to meet Mr Mbeki.
Seeking to force President Robert Mugabe into negotiations with the opposition, the United States formally proposed United Nations Security Council sanctions on Zimbabwe, including an international arms embargo and punitive measures against the 14 people it deemed most responsible for undermining the presidential election through violence. Besides Mugabe, those singled out Thursday in the draft resolution to be subject to an international travel ban and a freeze on personal assets include the chiefs of the various branches of the Zimbabwean armed forces, the governor of the central bank, the head of the Justice Department and the presidential spokesman. "We want to respond to the situation and respond in a way that encourages a move toward resolving the legitimacy crisis without negatively impacting the people of Zimbabwe who are suffering a great deal at the hands of the regime," said Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The United States expects to bring the resolution to a vote as early as this coming week, he said. The mood around the council chamber was noncommittal, with even previously outspoken opponents to further UN interference, particularly South Africa, saying they would have to consult with their governments.
Besides Mugabe, those singled out Thursday in the draft resolution to be subject to an international travel ban and a freeze on personal assets include the chiefs of the various branches of the Zimbabwean armed forces, the governor of the central bank, the head of the Justice Department and the presidential spokesman.
"We want to respond to the situation and respond in a way that encourages a move toward resolving the legitimacy crisis without negatively impacting the people of Zimbabwe who are suffering a great deal at the hands of the regime," said Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
The United States expects to bring the resolution to a vote as early as this coming week, he said. The mood around the council chamber was noncommittal, with even previously outspoken opponents to further UN interference, particularly South Africa, saying they would have to consult with their governments.
The crisis in Zimbabwe is "infecting the whole of southern Africa", UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said after visiting refugees. On a visit to Johannesburg, S Africa, he said victims of political repression were fleeing there in their thousands. He said it was now "imperative" there was a new government in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe was declared the winner of a one-candidate run-off election, amid reports of the violent intimidation of his opponents. After meeting some of the 2,000 refugees who have taken refuge in the Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg, Mr Miliband said: "This is now a crisis infecting the whole of southern Africa and one that is a man-made tragedy from the top of the Zimbabwean regime."
The crisis in Zimbabwe is "infecting the whole of southern Africa", UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said after visiting refugees.
On a visit to Johannesburg, S Africa, he said victims of political repression were fleeing there in their thousands.
He said it was now "imperative" there was a new government in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe was declared the winner of a one-candidate run-off election, amid reports of the violent intimidation of his opponents.
After meeting some of the 2,000 refugees who have taken refuge in the Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg, Mr Miliband said: "This is now a crisis infecting the whole of southern Africa and one that is a man-made tragedy from the top of the Zimbabwean regime."
Maybe we could send the Colombians. Now where are we going and what's with the handbasket?
Surely there's a chance that the floodgates on refugees will open if Mugabe continues to crack down on an already resigned population, but I haven't heard or read anything so far about increasing border crossings.
It's true that Zimbabwe's neighbours have become increasingly outspoken against Mugabe - particularly Zambia, Botswana and Tanzania taking (unprecedented?) fierce oppositions against a "father of the revolution" who destroyed his own heritage. Despite everything, one must not forget how important and respected the father figure is in African cultures. Even when the AU statement was watered down, a new line is being drawn in the sand.
In the meantime, two developments to keep track of: a) continued violence against MDC members
Robert Mugabe moves to erase the MDC - Times Online
Naison Nemadizwa, the newly elected MDC MP for Buhera South, was abducted in daylight on Tuesday as he emerged from the High Court in Harare having seen off a legal challenge by the losing Zanu (PF) candidate. Onlookers saw him bundled into the back of a waiting car and driven away after he became involved in an argument with a group of six men. One of his abductors was identified as a colonel in the army. "We are starting to see a pattern emerge," Nelson Chamisa, the MDC spokesman, said. "This is a consistent, co-ordinated strategy." Ten opposition MPs have been arrested in recent weeks and two remain in custody while others are out on bail charged with a range of offences alleging their involvement in election violence. Another, Thamsanqa Mahlangu, remains in a coma after he was attacked by the Zanu (PF) youth militia on his way to Mr Tsvangirai's election rally in Harare a week before the election. Mr Tsvangirai pulled out of the election within hours of the attack, saying that he could no longer ask supporters to take such risks. Sources say that the regime is setting its sights on the remaining opposition MPs, arresting those it can on trumped-up charges of assault, theft and rape. If convicted, the MPs would lose their seats, sparking by-elections that Zanu (PF) plans to win by employing the terror tactics that won Mr Mugabe his sixth presidential term.
Naison Nemadizwa, the newly elected MDC MP for Buhera South, was abducted in daylight on Tuesday as he emerged from the High Court in Harare having seen off a legal challenge by the losing Zanu (PF) candidate. Onlookers saw him bundled into the back of a waiting car and driven away after he became involved in an argument with a group of six men. One of his abductors was identified as a colonel in the army.
"We are starting to see a pattern emerge," Nelson Chamisa, the MDC spokesman, said. "This is a consistent, co-ordinated strategy." Ten opposition MPs have been arrested in recent weeks and two remain in custody while others are out on bail charged with a range of offences alleging their involvement in election violence. Another, Thamsanqa Mahlangu, remains in a coma after he was attacked by the Zanu (PF) youth militia on his way to Mr Tsvangirai's election rally in Harare a week before the election. Mr Tsvangirai pulled out of the election within hours of the attack, saying that he could no longer ask supporters to take such risks.
Sources say that the regime is setting its sights on the remaining opposition MPs, arresting those it can on trumped-up charges of assault, theft and rape. If convicted, the MPs would lose their seats, sparking by-elections that Zanu (PF) plans to win by employing the terror tactics that won Mr Mugabe his sixth presidential term.
And b) heavy negotiating behind the scenes: Peace plan for Zim given qualified welcome by MDC - Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source
The opposition believes the proposal appears to represent a recognition by Mbeki -- whom Tsvangirai had previously accused of "colluding with Mugabe to play down the deepening political crisis" -- that the Zimbabwean president's power is crumbling. But the MDC remains suspicious of Mbeki and is demanding that the African Union be a party to any deal to ensure it is adhered to. The proposal nonetheless adds to growing international pressure on Mugabe, who has said that while he is prepared to talk to the opposition, it must first recognise that he is the legitimately elected president and will remain so. Mbeki's spokesperson, Mukoni Ratshitanga, said he could neither confirm nor deny that such a document exists. Nigeria is the latest African government to condemn last month's presidential election, in which Mugabe claimed 90% of the valid votes after a military-led campaign of violence against the opposition.
To get criticism from Nigeria on election fraud has a good chunk of embedded irony if you'd ask me... But still, I'd say it's another tinsy sign of positive progress in African politics.
I think it is indeed a positive sign that another stolen election in Africa at least gets some front page notice, rather than business as usual. It remains to be seen whether the world community actually does something about it. Now where are we going and what's with the handbasket?
however its only a rumour, and I pretend no actual knowledge. Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
It is as if the riots and the tens of thousands who were caught up in xenophobic violence no longer matter, because suddenly Zimbabwe is the bigger, more imperative issue and we just twist the facts and context why there are thousands of people still in Methodist Church.
I also fault the BBC for this.
As for intervention in Zim, I'm not exactly holding my breath.
TOKYO, Jul 4 (IPS) - Japan wants countries to reconsider biofuels as an alternative technology to fight climate change by using fuel cell cars at the Group of Eight (G8) Summit on Jul. 7-9. The vehicles will transport the leaders of the world's major industrialised nations when they gather on the northern Japanese Island of Hokkaido.Honda will display its most advanced environmental technologies with its FX Clarity and Civic Hybrid. They run on a blend of fuel made from straw. The world is increasingly turning to biofuels as a way to ease pressure from rising oil prices. But critics say biofuels may create more greenhouse gas than they save. Clearing natural forests to plant fuel plantations releases more carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and using food crops for fuel production is at odds with boosting the global food supply. But not everyone agrees with this argument. "Blaming biofuels for causing a food crisis is a useful distraction for the world's policy-makers from the real problem, which is an increasing overpopulation of the planet, leading to rapid increase in the use of fossil fuels and global warming," said Mike Taylor, CFO of Asia Resource Partners KK.
What KK mean, King Kong? Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. -Charu Saxena.
SAN MIGUEL DE TUCUMÁN, Argentina, Jul 2 (IPS) - European Union immigration policy was unanimously rejected in strong terms by the presidents of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and associate countries, meeting in Argentina.At the six-monthly summit meeting, held this time in the northwestern Argentine city of San Miguel de Tucumán, negotiators made progress on integration issues in preparatory sessions, while the leaders' summit focused on the world food crisis and the new EU policy of restrictions on undocumented immigrants. At the summit, the presidents agreed to extend the passport-free movement of their citizens, who will be able to travel on presentation of their national identity documents across all the borders of South America, except Guyana and Suriname. The measure facilitates the movement of persons in the region, in contrast to the restrictive attitude taken towards them by the EU. The leaders of the bloc's four full member countries were present in the capital of the province of Tucumán: Cristina Fernández of the host country, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Nicanor Duarte of Paraguay, and Tabaré Vázquez of Uruguay. Also attending the meeting was Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, which is in the process of acquiring full membership.
OSLO, Jul 4 (IPS) - A new commission appointed by Norway will investigate ways of putting a stop to the huge flows of money into tax havens. Tax evasion and corruption are believed to cost poor countries at least 50 billion dollars a year.The commission, launched last week, includes Eva Joly, a special advisor on corruption for the Norwegian development agency Norad who headed the famous investigation into corruption at French oil company Elf as an investigatory judge, as well as experts in the fields of international economics, anti-corruption, fund management, and development policy. Tax havens are places that have created special tax rules that allow operators such as companies to pay little or no taxes. The tax havens can be very secretive, making them attractive for operators that want to avoid paying taxes to their home countries, as well as for those that want to hide away money gained through corruption. Among the areas that have been labelled as tax havens are Andorra, Monaco, Gibraltar, Jersey, the Cayman Islands, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, as well as some parts of the financial system in London. "I am very proud of this commission and I think it is very important that it has been appointed, because there is quite a high level of confusion surrounding the damaging effects of tax havens," Joly, who is also part of an anti-corruption working group at the World Bank, told IPS.
