Little achieved at Zimbabwe talks

BBC News ^ | May 5, 2003

[Clive]

Talks between senior African leaders and President Robert Mugabe have ended with no sign of a breakthrough on how to resolve Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis.

The presidents of South Africa, Nigeria and Malawi held separate meetings with Mr Mugabe and the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

But after several hours of talks, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said sticking points remained between the two sides.

The talks came amid speculation that President Mugabe may be considering early retirement.

They were the latest in a series of so far unsuccessful mediation efforts in Zimbabwe - but correspondents say the worsening economic conditions are now focusing minds.

Regime change

Mr Obasanjo and Presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Bakili Muluzi of Malawi met Mr Mugabe for two hours at his State House residence.

They also held talks with Mr Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) at a Harare hotel.

Some 20 opposition protesters were arrested outside the hotel, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Officially, the talks they held with President Mugabe were aimed at pushing for dialogue between Zimbabwe's Government and the MDC.

President Mugabe is still refusing to talk until the opposition drops its legal challenge to his presidential election victory.

It is unclear whether they addressed the issue of President Mugabe's possible retirement plans.

South African spokesmen said prior to the trip that their delegation was not going to Zimbabwe to encourage regime change and insisted that Robert Mugabe's retirement was a matter for him to decide.

Land reform complete

Speculation that President Mugabe might want to bow out of politics early began after his recent public comments in which he hinted that retirement might be an option.

He has previously said that he would not be leaving office until he had finished his land reform programme.

There are now very few white farmers left on Zimbabwe's land and Mr Mugabe has said that it is complete.

Since then, the Zimbabwean Government has backtracked and said President Mugabe has no plans for early retirement.

Mr Tsvangirai told the BBC that Mr Mugabe should resign and presidential elections re-run.

Mr Mugabe last month offered to meet Mr Tsvangirai, if he accepted Mr Mugabe's legitimacy as president - a condition Mr Tsvangirai rejected.

Talks brokered by South Africa and Nigeria between Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF and the MDC broke up last year after the MDC filed a legal challenge to Mr Mugabe's re-election.

[Clive]

Here is the News24 (SA) version:

Mugabe talks end

Harare - South African President Thabo Mbeki, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Malawi President Bakili Muluzi concluded their closed-door talks with President Robert Mugabe in less than two hours at State House on Monday, Sapa's correspondent reported.

The three visiting African leaders were on their way for a separate meeting with Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe.

No statement has been issued so far by the various leaders on the issues discussed on Monday.

[Clive]

-

[theDentist]

Here's a solution. Shoot Mugabe at the beginning of the next meeting, then start distributing food.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

So what's Plan B?

[may18]

Imho we should remove him if talks dont work.

Its not a major job, he is a monster

which is why i was sickened when chirac welcomed him to a state banquet

[technochick99]

Talks between senior African leaders and President Robert Mugabe have ended with no sign of a breakthrough on how to resolve Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis.

There are probably only a handful of ideas that will work, and they all require Mugabe GONE. Of course, he might have a problem with that.

[BamaGal]

I have friends in Zim and the conditions are horrible. They are frequently harrassed and threatened because they are white and on several occasions army vets have surrounded their house during the night shooting guns and making threats. They have to stand in line for hours for food which runs out before their turn. They recently told me they haven't had bread in over 6 months.

Imagine my shock last week when my son was doing research for a school project on Zimbabwe. I couldn't believe the pro-Mugabe chat at Zim sites. Almost all the posts were pro-Mugabe and virulently anti-American and anti-white. After reading a particularly rabid anti-US post about how power mad we are and how we were going to try to take over Zimbabwe next, I replied suggesting they visit us here at FR and read When the Dungeon Doors Swing Open before judging us too harshly about Iraq.

How do you help people who don't want to be helped?

[may18]

as i understand it many of the farmers harrased have uk passports

if thats true, then its our duty to protect them by any means nessecary.

The falklands held just 300 uk citizens

yet maggie sent half the RN 6000 miles to free them.

Why is zimbabwe being ignored? And why did chirac greet mugabe so warmly?

[Clive]

If your son wishes to see what is happening, news reports sourced in the independent Zim and South Africa press have been heavily posted here.

I and others have tried to take care that "Zimbabwe" or "Zim" appear in the title of each such thread.