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| East/Subsaharan Africa |
| US wants Bob out |
| 2003-04-16 |
| The United States is urging Zim-Bob-We's neighbours to step up pressure on President Robert Mugabe to hand power to a transitional government to pave the way for new elections, a senior US State Department official said today. Eeek! Another multilateral approach! "What we're telling them is there has to be a transitional government in Zimbabwe that leads to a free and fair, internationally supervised election," the official said. "That is the goal. He stole the last one, we can't let that happen again," the official said, referring to a widely condemned poll last March in which Mugabe won re-election. "It has to be internationally supervised, open, transparent with an electoral commission that works," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "In other words, it has to be done without the UN and without the French!" The official would not say whether the US had got positive reactions to its call from any specific country in the region, but said generally the "neighbourhood" was increasingly aware of the problems posed by Mugabe's rule. "The neighbourhood — meaning southern Africa — is realising that this is not going well, this is breaking bad," the official said. "The food situation is going to get nothing but worse, the economic scene is disastrous." They know how bad it is; they just don't want to move against one of their old-time revolutionary brothers. The official noted that Zimbabwe's economy was now crippled by hyperinflation and an unemployment rate of 80 per cent and that Zimbabweans were fleeing their country in droves to become refugees in Botswana, Mozambique, and South Africa. Tough call: live in a mud hut in a refugee camp in Mozambique, or stay home and get raped, pillaged and murdered. As Steve Martin would say on SNL, "Bring out the Common Book of Wisdom"! In addition, the situation in Zimbabwe is hurting the economies of other countries in the region as potential investors steer clear because of fears about the spread of the crisis. "The neighbourhood is starting to realise that there is a downside to giving aid and protection to Comrade Bob," the official said, using a derogatory nickname for Mugabe. Comrade Bob has a bad case of kooties, and no investor wants to get kooties! "There is stuff happening, there is stuff happening behind the scenes," the official added, declining to elaborate. The United States has been a vociferous critic of Mugabe in recent months and led a charge at the UN Human Rights Commission to condemn the Harare government. Har! The dreaded UNHRC! That'll show 'em. Actually, the 1st Armored Cav would show 'em a lot better. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 UNHRC:Chaired by Lybia,now that's a ringing endorsment for effective action. |
| Posted by: raptor 2003-04-17 07:38:39 |
| #3 "It has to be done with the UN and the French." Steve, you left out Jimmy Carter. |
| Posted by: Denny 2003-04-16 21:25:08 |
| #2 "No blood for rhinoceri"? |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-04-16 18:31:34 |
| #1 Great,now we can start the countdown to the first pro-Bob march."No Blood For...um...what IS in Zimbabwe,dear?" |
| Posted by: El Id 2003-04-16 17:24:13 |