24 November 2008

Zimbabwe Update

Well, Annan and Carter are calling for the SADC to get off their tuchases and do something, which is unlikely to happen, since they've already tried to fob off a phony deal on the MDC.

Thabo Mbeki and most of the leadership of the Southern African Development Community do not want just resolution, because it's a gun pointed to most of their heads, since much of their opposition comes from the trade union movement too, so a victory will embolden them, which is why they suggested a fictitious "joint ministry" for interior, which is one the primary tools used by Mugabe to maintain control through harassment, violence, and intimidation.

In the meantime, the MDC says that any deal it signs must involve real and profound power, which is not surprising.

ZANU-PF is so blatantly corrupt that they changed an agreed upon document out before signing. (link)

They also note that the illegal detention of MDC activists by agents of the ZANU-PF do not give them cause to believe that talks would be worthwhile.

On the brighter side, if there can be said to be a brighter side in Zimbabwe, it appears taht the general populace has gotten so desperate that they are fighting back against Zimbabwean troops:
Hundreds of angry Zimbabweans attacked soldiers carrying out a crackdown on illegal foreign currency trading in the capital Harare on Monday in a further sign of the country's collapse.

The crowd hurled stones at the troops and chanted "beat the soldiers," accusing them of hitting and robbing people during the currency operation.
On the darker side, there has been an outbreak of cholera, killing at least 500, and the response of Mugabe and his associates has been to shut down the municipal water supply, which is more like trying to put a fire out with gasoline than anything I could possibly imagine.

Seriously, while Gordon Brown is calling Iceland a terrorist state, the ZANU-PF government of Zimbabwe is a terrorist government, and a declaration by the US and UK, with the associated freezing of assets held by high level government officials might do something.

These folks are engaging in a terror campaign to maintain power.

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