Back to Index

This article participates on the following special index pages:

A good place as any to draw the line
Tajudeen Abdul Raheem, Pambazuka News
July 09, 2008

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/panafrican/49325

There has been a lot of opprobrium directed at African leaders for lacking the political will to put in check if not end Mugabe-s misrule. However I have a different take on the outcome of the recent Sharm El Sheikh Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

Media reports and public reaction both in Africa and outside of Africa have been highly critical and dismissive of the AU resolution. For many, this was yet another unprincipled stand by the African leaders, many of whom have no better democratic credentials than those of Uncle Bob-s. So what would you expect from such a group the cynics ask? As understandable as this position is, it fails to take cognizance of the changing dynamics of intra-African diplomacy. For that failure those holding this view become unwitting allies of President Mugabe whose tainted and stale reading of Africa convince him that no African leader can criticize him.

Mugabe said this much soon after his one-man presidential run-off and his hurried 'swearing in - just in time to rush off Egypt. He claimed that none of the leaders had cleaner hands than his, which are certainly bloody. In a sense he was daring those with cleaner hands to cast the first stone. It was desperate bravado from a man who has lost all claims to moral or political integrity. He exonerates himself not by proclaiming his innocence but declaring that he is not the only one guilty. No doubt his fellow riggers and robbers feel uncomfortable.

However it also provided opportunity for those who are not defensive about their legitimacy to speak out loudly. They did not have to have to lead big states to do so. Where President Yar- Adua of Nigeria was silent, the newly elected President Koroma of Sierra Leone and the President of Liberia, Mrs Sir leaf Johnson, (ironically both countries enormously grateful for the role that Nigeria and the rest of ECOWAS played in restoring stability and democratisation to their countries), did not mince their words. The Vice President of Botswana, backed by Botswana-s long democratic stability remained unbowed by the deafening 'quiet diplomacy- of its equally democratic, potentially more influential but completely ineffectual neighbor, lame duck Thabo Mbeki-s South Africa. He spoke most forcefully and demanded that Mugabe should not be invited to future AU and forthcoming SADC meetings until there is a genuine political negotiation leading to a legitimate political transition. Again Botswana showed that you do not have to be a giant to stand up for democratic principles.

Kenya, influenced by its recent electoral theft controversies was also very open (especially PM Raila Odinga) in demanding that the AU take a more robust stance in favour of democracy. Even before the Summit countries as diverse as Rwanda, Mozambique, Angola, Kenya, and Uganda were quite open in drawing attention to the open rigging and one sided violence by the ZANU-PF government -in spite of their own internal challenges or contradictions

Even the Pan African Parliament-s Observer Mission, the normally sanguine SADC group of observers and other African Led Observers were unanimous in stating that the MUGAGE ONE MAN TANGO had set a new low standard for electoral decorum in Africa.

What does all these tell us? It means Africa, Africans and a growing number of African leaders are no longer prepared to be judged by the worst of their political culture but willing to stand up for and defend higher principles and values. A new sense of shame is again beginning to challenge us to do much better by ourselves. It is no longer enough to say others are also guilty. It is not convincing anymore to bemoan the hypocrisy of our leaders or those of the West. Bad behavior is bad behavior and it does not matter whether it is London, Washington, Brussels or Abuja, Pretoria, Nairobi or Kigali calling attention to it. Even among thieves there must be some rule of procedure - that is why the mafia has the iron law of 'omerta-.

Zimbabwe and Mugabe has become the weakest link in transforming the way we relate to each other. In 1999, in of all places Algiers, the OAU leaders decided that enough was enough in regards to military coups even though some of them had come to power through such coups. Many did not think that the resolution against coups could be enforced but at Christmas time later that year, General Gueye in Ivory Coast dared Africa to act. We know what happened to him and all the other ambitious Gun Men since then.

Having outlawed coups the next step is to end the practice of undemocratic leaders perpetually remaining in office through election rigging, unconstitutional manipulations of political process and subversion of their country-s constitutions.

Where the line is drawn will be by necessity arbitrary and will invite all kinds of accusations of why now and not before. But the point is to raise the ceiling higher and establish new standards of behaviour. It is about moving forward, from an imperfect present and not looking back.

Mugabe-s extreme vulnerability makes this an ideal political opportunity to SAY NO: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. If African leaders isolate Mugabe he will have no choice but to agree to a negotiated settlement. Even in Kenya the PNU hawks initially thought that they could ride the storm and even insulted the efforts of OAU chairperson President Kuffour: But they had to bow to negotiations when they saw that both Africa and the rest of the international community were serious.

Do we have to wait until frustrated MDC and other opponents of the Mugabe dictatorship start retaliating with widespread violence before we act? It is good that no one has recognized Mugabe officially apart from that face of Africa-s inglorious past, Omar Bongo (in power for more than four decades!). Those states and leaders who have been courageous enough to openly criticise Mugabe-s vote grab should take the next step and refuse to recognise his election.

The AU and SADC must decide quickly what to do with Mugabe-s electoral theft otherwise no one will take their future observer missions seriously. No person of integrity will serve in such missions if those who send them will not accept their findings - and act on them. Taxpayers, funders and other donors should demand a refund of their money or charge the officials of these organizations with misuse of public funds if they spend so much money observing 'selections- without any sanctions for defaulters.

Finally it is quite clear that Thabo Mbeki is incapable of being an honest broker for genuine negotiations in Zimbabwe. Mugabe has not given him much to work with and it is obvious that the MDC does not trust him. Mbeki does not even have the full support of his own party let alone South Africa. He has even less support amongst SADC countries. The AU needs to assume leadership of the process just as it did in Kenya when Museveni as EAC chairperson failed to make any headway due to his perceived bias.

* Tajudeen Abdul Raheem writes this column as a Pan Africanist.

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP