MDC to brief UN Security Council on Zimbabwe crisis

By Tererai Karimakwenda
28 April, 2008

The Zimbabwe crisis has finally made it to the United Nations Security Council. They are to be briefed on Tuesday by the MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti, regarding the electoral crisis that developed after the government refused to announce the results of the Presidential poll and the violence that followed. This is a blow for South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki who currently chairs the Council, and had on many occasions blocked the crisis from it’s agenda.

A statement from the MDC said: We call on the United Nations to send an envoy, who will work with SADC to find a lasting solution to the crisis. This crisis can only end if Mr Mugabe accepts that he lost the election and allows a smooth transfer of power, leading to the formation of a government of national healing led by President Tsvangirai.”

South Africa based writer and reporter Geoff Hill, said this is an important development because it elevates Zimbabwe to a new level of urgency. Regarding Mbeki, Hill said the South African leader is essentially no longer the President of South Africa and Jacob Zuma, the next President, is telling Mbeki what to do.

Hill also said that other African states now know that Mugabe is wounded and on his way out, so they are no longer protecting him and are beginning to deal with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, as the next president of Zimbabwe.

Hill pointed to the urgent SADC summit that was organized earlier this month to discuss Zimbabwe. Mugabe snubbed them by not attending but SADC proceeded without him. Hill said SADC is now ignoring Mugabe and his protests, and putting more pressure on ZANU-PF.
Meanwhile the United Nation’s top human rights official, Louise Arbour, expressed alarm on Sunday over post-election violence in Zimbabwe. She said the brutal crackdown could undermine efforts to overcome the country's political crisis.

In a statement released in Geneva, Arbour said: "I am particularly concerned about reports of threats, intimidation, abuse and violence directed against NGOs, election monitors, human rights defenders and other representatives of civil society.”