Mbeki to brief SADC leaders on failed Zim talks at AU Summit

By Tererai Karimakwenda
31 January, 2008

The African Union summit taking place in Addis Ababa will provide an opportunity for South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki to brief leaders from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), on the failed Zimbabwe crisis talks that he mediated on their behalf. Reports say Mbeki is still making an effort to save the crucial talks that are supposed to lead to free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. Time is running out though as the polls are currently set for March 29th.

The shroud of secrecy surrounding the SADC initiative has remained, due to Mbeki’s insistence on “quiet diplomacy”. We received reports that the area where the AU leaders are meeting in Addis Ababa has been closed off. Zimbabwe is not yet on the AU agenda but African civil groups that are at the meeting released a communiqué last week calling on the Heads of State to pressure the Mugabe regime to conduct elections under A.U. guidelines. Zimbabwean groups in Addis Ababa, including the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum, had circulated information on the crisis to African delegates.

It is no secret however that the crisis negotiations between ZANU-PF and the MDC have stalled, with Robert Mugabe refusing to implement some of the changes that were agreed to, particularly the adoption of a new constitution ahead of the polls. It remains to be seen whether SADC leaders will try to pressure Mugabe through the A.U. by calling on the crisis to be included on the agenda.

The violence in Kenya is reported to be taking centre stage at the A.U. summit and once again Mugabe’s luck holds as the Zimbabwe crisis is once again sidelined by a catastrophe elsewhere. But as the Shona saying goes, “Chiri ne chiro chine nguva yacho” (everything has its time).