Annan, Carter and Machel to visit Zimbabwe on humanitarian mission

By Violet Gonda
14 November 2008

Three members of the globally respected group of Elders, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former United States President Jimmy Carter, and international advocate for women and children’s rights Graça Machel are expected to visit Zimbabwe next weekend to assess the escalating humanitarian crisis.

A statement issued on Friday by the group said it has been observing the decline of Zimbabwe’s economic and humanitarian situation with concern for some time.

The three Elders – who have experience in conflict resolution – plan to make a first hand assessment of how to effectively respond to the Zimbabwe crisis and its effects on neighbouring countries.

“Relieving the suffering of millions of people must be the priority of Zimbabwe’s leaders,” said Annan. “But global attention is also slipping as Zimbabwe’s humanitarian crisis worsens.”

Political commentator Professor John Makumbe said the impending visit is a welcome move because some in the international community do not understand the gravity of the hardships that Zimbabweans are facing, and the coming of the Elders will help publicise this disaster.

Millions face starvation in a country battered by economic turmoil and political uncertainty. Many lives are being lost through preventable diseases such as cholera, and also as a result of the total collapse of the country’s social fabric.

Zimbabwe has had no proper government since the controversial elections held in March, which has exacerbated an already abnormal situation. The country’s political rivals are still locked in a stalemate over the distribution of key ministries in the power-sharing government.

Annan said the delegation will not be involved in the current political negotiations, emphasising it was a humanitarian mission. “However, we urge Zimbabwe’s political leaders to move swiftly to fully implement the 15th September agreement, particularly the provisions on humanitarian and food assistance. Delays in forming a government are prolonging the suffering of the people.”

Makumbe said even though the delegation is coming on a humanitarian matter they will be left with no choice but to make recommendations regarding the political impasse after they have seen for themselves the poverty caused by bad governance.

The outspoken commentator said: “I think Annan underestimates the gravity of the situation. When he gets here and sees truckloads of dead bodies, victims of cholera; when he gets here and he sees people queuing outside banks; when he gets here and he sees the poverty and the suffering; when he gets here and he finds the hospitals closed and people are unable to get medicinal drugs, he will rethink that position and I think he will actually say there is no way the Mugabe regime can go on like this, it has to be revamped. The political impasse has to be resolved.”

The three will visit Zimbabwe on the 22nd and 23rd November. The Elders are: Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel, Mary Robinson, Desmond Tutu and Muhammad Yunus. Aung San Suu Kyi is an honorary Elder.