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Nations with influence on Zimbabwe must use maximum leverage
Stephen Kaufman, U.S. Department of State
June 04, 2008

http://www.america.gov/st/democracy-english/2008/June/20080604190854esnamfuak0.3356745.html

Washington -- With less than one month before Zimbabwe's presidential runoff election, the United States is calling on neighboring states, such as South Africa, to use their influence to exercise "the maximum amount of leverage" on the government of President Robert Mugabe in the wake of violence and intimidation against the political opposition.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said June 4 that Morgan Tsvangirai, who faces Mugabe in the June 27 runoff, was detained by government forces in the town of Lupane. Tsvangirai was released after eight hours of detention and was not charged with any crime.

Prior to his release, McCormack said the opposition leader "should be released immediately unharmed, [and] untouched," describing the detention as "deeply disturbing" and recalling that Tsvangirai had been beaten while in police custody in March 2007.

Tsvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has seen four other party leaders arrested ahead of the runoff vote, and the party claims that 58 of its supporters have been killed by pro-government forces since the March 29 presidential and parliamentary vote.

According to an MDC chairman, two Tsvangirai supporters were burned to death by suspected supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF party June 4 in Masvingo province.

Concerted effort to encourage change in Zimbabwe
McCormack said the United States has imposed tough sanctions against Zimbabwe's leadership that are targeted "in a way that would not, we hope, affect the Zimbabwean people in a negative way." However, the Bush administration and others in the international community are "simply up against ... the hard facts of international politics" regarding the situation in Zimbabwe.

"When you are faced with situations like this, it's a matter of politics. It's a matter of leverage and trying to create that leverage and trying to get those who have it to use it," he said. "And states like South Africa, for example, need to use the leverage that they have."

South Africa is not the only country with leverage over Mugabe's government, but Pretoria is "uniquely positioned" to encourage a change in behavior, McCormack said.

The United States and other individual countries can levy sanctions, "but unless you have a truly concerted, focused effort to put in place sanctions and enforce them, leadership of this kind is going to find a way around those things to relieve the pressure," he said.

A senior State Department official told reporters June 4 that the United States wants to see election observers in place for the June 27 runoff vote, as well as a "truly independent" election commission and provision by the military of "a secure atmosphere where everybody can vote."

The official called for international financial assistance for the election observers, saying there is likely a good supply of individuals in the region and the international community, but they may need additional resources to help them do their jobs.

Although the Bush administration is hoping for a free and fair vote, "certainly there's a healthy suspicion that Mugabe would do everything he could to stay in power," based on previous behavior.

"We need to be prepared for a variety of different outcomes," the official said. "Prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

At the White House, press secretary Dana Perino said June 4 that Zimbabwe's decision to ban the activities of CARE International, Save the Children and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) showed the government's "callous indifference" to its people, which could lead to "government-induced starvation in Zimbabwe."

Under Mugabe's 20-year rule, Zimbabwe has transformed from being a food exporter to becoming reliant on international assistance to feed its people. A high rate of inflation and shortages of basic commodities such as cooking oil and cornmeal have left many, especially in rural areas, dependent on the activities of the aid agencies.

Cephas Zinhumwe, chief executive of Zimbabwe's National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO), told Agence France Presse June 4 that the aid organizations had been accused of campaigning for the opposition, a charge the agencies have denied.

"If we continue like this, we are going to have a crisis," Zinhumwe said.

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