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Zimbabwe crisis mars SADC-EU dialogue
ZimOnline
November 23, 2006

http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=505

Zimbabwe's unstable political and economic environment continues to cast a spooky shadow on efforts at attaining deeper regional integration in southern Africa.

The country’s deteriorating situation, marked by a seven-year-old economic crisis and rampant cases of human rights abuses, was again on the menu as ministers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met here last week for regular consultations with their counterparts from the European Union.

Diplomatic sources privy to the discussions, held under the aegis of the SADC-EU Ministerial Double Troika, said the unresolved Zimbabwe question returned to haunt the southern African leaders, with the EU questioning the region’s seriousness at creating strong democratic institutions.

Led by regional powerhouse, South Africa, the SADC member states have adopted a policy of "quiet diplomacy" under which they have refused to publicly condemn President Robert Mugabe’s repressive policies.

Western governments and Zimbabwean human rights groups say quiet diplomacy has only helped protect Mugabe from criticism for stealing elections and violating human rights.

"The EU openly showed its frustration with the lack of progress in reining in President (Robert) Mugabe and feel that the region can do more to make a difference in that country," said a senior SADC official who declined to be named because he was not authorised to disclose details of the discussions to the Press.

The source noted that there is growing frustration with Zimbabwe within SADC itself although regional leaders appeared still unable to summon enough courage to challenge the 82-year-old Zimbabwean leader.

He said the EU challenged SADC to urgently find a solution to the crisis in Harare before the entire region is plunged into chaos.

In a communiqué issued after the Maseru meeting, SADC "indicated its continuing support to Zimbabwe in finding solutions to improve the situation and underlined the need for continuous constructive engagement with the Republic of Zimbabwe."

The region is eyeing a Free Trade Area by 2008 and a Customs Union two years later, both of which could remain pipe dreams as long as the situation in Zimbabwe is not normalised.

Both targets are premised on the attainment of macroeconomic convergence, including having single-digit inflation in two years’ time.

Zimbabwe’s inflation rate is currently the highest in the world at 1 072 percent in October. Analysts, including the International Monetary Fund, have

projected that the rate would go past the 4 000 percent mark by the end of 2006. - ZimOnline

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