DEMOCRACY AROUND THE WORLD | Giving citizens a voice
05 December 2008
“Well Past Time” for Zimbabwe’s Mugabe to Leave, Rice Says
Southern African nations must take lead in standing “for what is right”
Washington — Describing power-sharing talks between President Robert Mugabe’s government and Zimbabwe’s political opposition as a “sham process,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Mugabe to step down from power and allow Zimbabweans to enjoy “a better future.”
Speaking in Copenhagen December 5 with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Rice said Mugabe’s rule has now brought about a humanitarian toll in the form of a cholera epidemic in addition to the country’s continued suffering from political and economic hardship.
“It’s well past time for Robert Mugabe to leave. I think that’s now obvious,” Rice said. “The fact is that there was a sham election. There then has been a sham process of power-sharing talks.”
Rice was referring to the country’s June presidential runoff election from which challenger Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew after weeks of sustained violence and intimidation against Zimbabwe’s political opposition by Mugabe supporters. Subsequent talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai on forming a coalition government have broken down over the government’s refusal to grant the political opposition control over key ministries, despite the parliamentary majority the party won in March elections. (See “U.S. Urges More Pressure on Zimbabwe’s Mugabe to Share Power.”)
The secretary said the United States will continue its efforts to assist the people of Zimbabwe, who are facing severe food shortages, economic problems and a cholera outbreak that has killed nearly 600 people. The total U.S. food and health assistance package for Zimbabwe during 2008 stands at $218 million. (See “U.S. Envoy to Zimbabwe Decries Grim Humanitarian Situation.”)
“We are not going to deny assistance to people in need because of their government,” Rice said. But the country’s problems are evidence to the world that “it’s time to stand up for what is right. … And frankly, the nations of the region have to lead it,” she said, referring to Zimbabwe’s neighbors in southern Africa.
“Many African states have spoken up in this way about the need for change in Zimbabwe. But many others have been silent. And it is really time for the people of Zimbabwe to have a better future,” Rice said, adding that southern African states “should be the most responsible at this point, because they have the most at risk.”
THOSE WHO CAN EXERCISE MORE INFLUENCE SHOULD DO SO
A senior State Department official told reporters December 5 that Secretary Rice’s comments express U.S. frustration with Mugabe’s failure to take positive steps for his country and his unwillingness to negotiate seriously with Tsvangirai and the opposition.
“She’s calling on countries in the region to take the lead and to step up and to do more to convince Mugabe to step down,” the official said. “In our view, he certainly should step aside, but that’s something that he’ll have to decide himself or that the regional leaders will have to convince him to do.”
The Bush administration is willing to take “much more stringent action” against Zimbabwe’s rulers, but “others are not,” the official said. “It’s pretty clear who the key folks are to do more.”
Rice’s remarks reflect the U.S. view that the misery of Zimbabweans “has gone on long enough,” and “the people who can exercise more influence in the region need to do that,” the official said.
