Challenges facing AU mediator Joachim Chissano
By Tichaona Sibanda
15 August 2005

The recently appointed African Union mediator on Zimbabwe, former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano might be a skilled and credible negotiator but questions will be asked about his neutrality and impartiality. This is the belief of Lovemore Madhuku, a political analyst and constitutional lawyer who says Chissano is a very close friend of Robert Mugabe. AU chairman Nigerian President Olusagen Obasanjo, recently appointed Chissano to mediate between Mugabe's Zanu (PF) and the opposition MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai.

Another obstacle to successful negotiations is the common refusal of Robert Mugabe to come to a negotiating table with Tsvangirai. In some cases said Madhuku, this refusal to negotiate results from Mugabe's fear that he will be forced to accept compromises that would lead him to step down as President.The greatest challenge facing Chissano would be to get Mugabe to sit down with Tsvangirai under the same roof. 'This is where Chissano is likely to fail. He does not have the capacity or the determination to tell Robert Mugabe to come to a negotiating table,' said Madhuku.

Madhuku said Chissano is 'very close' to Mugabe and it would be impossible for him to try and corner him to a negotiating table. He added; 'the mediator is usually expected to be both neutral and impartial. That means he (Chissano) should have no connections to any of the parties, but everyone knows he was Mugabe's best man at his wedding.