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Zimbabwe: Security Council Splits Over Election Impasse
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30 April 2008
Posted to the web 30 April 2008
Deep divisions were apparent on the United Nations Security Council as it discussed the post-election impasse in Zimbabwe for the first time on Tuesday. Western news reports said South Africa led the way in blocking the dispatch of a UN envoy to Harare.
The discussion was held during what the UN characterised as "closed consultations" of the council in New York. The UN's Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, reported to journalists afterwards that he had given the council a "careful and straightfoward review of the facts as we know them."
The UN's main concern was the fact that election results had not been announced. "We [also] have a great deal of concern about violence," Pascoe added, "particularly if it is run from the government side, but any side - there's been reports of violence on both sides."
The South African ambassador to the UN, Dumisani Khumalo, who chaired the meeting, told reporters that the only issue on which all members appeared to agree was that regional leaders in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) "should work with the Zimbabweans, especially with their independent electoral commission, to make sure that the results are coming out."
Beyond that, on issues such as sending a UN envoy or fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe, "there was no agreement."
Pascoe said SADC and the African Union were playing the leading role in addressing the situation, but the UN was willing to help "either... if they decided [on] a follow-on election of some sort, or if they needed our help in any way on the mediation or other areas."
Ahead of the consultations in New York, a senior South African foreign ministry official came close to suggesting that Britain had brought the issue to the Security Council in a deliberate attempt to embarrass South Africa during its April presidency of the body.
Referring to an occurrence last year, Deputy Director-General George Nene told a media briefing in Pretoria: "I'm sure you are aware that Britain has always tried to make sure that the issue of Zimbabwe comes to the Security Council in this form, as a briefing during our presidency...
"I don't know why they didn't wait for their presidency... We don't know whether there is any motive. Whether it is coincidence or not, it is up to you to judge."
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Britain takes over presidency of the Security Council on May 1. The Times of London on Thursday quoted unnamed diplomatic sources as saying a public Security Council meeting would probably be called in May, after South Africa had led efforts on Wednesday to block the proposal to send a UN envoy to Zimbabwe.
The newspaper said the proposal was supported by the United States, France and other Western nations, which had also called for a moratorium on arms sales to Zimbabwe. South Africa, China, Russia, Libya and Vietnam had opposed any further Security Council action at this stage, and Burkina Faso said that Africa should take the lead.
The New York Times reported that Britain's deputy ambassador to the UN, Karen Pierce, said Pascoe had spoken in his briefing of "a level of political intimidation and violence that I think many Council members found quite chilling."
Madyamhuru, you can go on eating calves but Zimbabwe is an elephant bull. Ban Ki has already barked “we know the winner”. Does the UN know better than the electorate, SADC, AU with SA taking leading role? The British propaganda knows no boundary. While we want our results NOW hear at home may these politically debilited elite groups (UN) stop exacerbating our already critical situation through their self serving statements. Can the UN get concerned for now about its mandate; if national elections is one of its mandate let it attack britain for not having elections at all while Brown... [Read Full Text]
I am ashamed of Mbeki. He seems to have forgotten so soon that had it not been for the intervention of the international community he may today be in one of the prisons of south african and no where near the presidency of South Africa.
A Zimbabwean problem is certainly a world problem because when a Zimbabwean dies it means the world has lost a citizen.
In the violence surrounding Zimbabwe's elections, two people are reported to have died; in Tibet, numbers estimated to have been killed by protesters and Chinese forces range from 22 to 140. By contrast, in Somalia, where US-backed Ethiopian and Somali troops are fighting forces loyal to the ousted government, several thousand have been killed since the beginning of the year and half the population of the capital, Mogadishu, has been forced to flee the city in what UN officials describe as Africa's worst humanitarian crisis.
The crucial difference and the reason why these conflicts and violations don't get the deluxe... [Read Full Text]
In the violence surrounding Zimbabwe's elections, two people are reported to have died; in Tibet, numbers estimated to have been killed by protesters and Chinese forces range from 22 to 140. By contrast, in Somalia, where US-backed Ethiopian and Somali troops are fighting forces loyal to the ousted government, several thousand have been killed since the beginning of the year and half the population of the capital, Mogadishu, has been forced to flee the city in what UN officials describe as Africa's worst humanitarian crisis.
The crucial difference and the reason why these conflicts and violations don't get the deluxe... [Read Full Text]
To Phiri Your comment has much to say about political immorality. One fact you have overlooked though is that the US provided US$ 47million for the first phase of land distribution. The farms were bought and distributed amongst Mugabe and his elite. So, the UK and US stopped the programme. Mugabe did nothing to restart it. Then he lost the 2000 referendum. Then the farm evictions started. So, he hadn't cared much for his people in the interim. Welcome back to political immorality!
enny
You must be white thing! What is the difference between Mbeki being in prison and obeying orders from devils up there!You should be ashamed of yourself and your kith and kin, he has been used to downtrod his people (South Africans) but he can no longer take it any more. He knows Mugabe is the west number one foe in Africa and they dont want his teaching spread across Africa. Solidarity is what Africans need now, not these puppets (Tsvangirai and the Bitis)who cannot even argue sensibly on their masters'TVs. Africa deserves better leaders!
Mbeki, we salute... [Read Full Text]
To you all, Whether you are for the Mugabe's government or against it. One thing is certain,your people are suffering and dying as you write and speak. I am not from Zimbabwe, but l am an African. Infact l am from Nigeria. I am writing out of concern for the ordinary citizen's of Zimbabwe. I have a first hand experience of what it is to be misruled. I was just a young boy, second year in secondary... [Read Full Text]
I despair at the negative and paranoid comments from clearly biased submissions. If you really want to taste the despair and violance in ZIM...visit this page on Sokwanele..
http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/928
Dave.
Everyone knows that the BBC/CNN/SKYNEWS are the channels that spew out biased news items.Why are these channels not commenting on the tragedy in eastern DRC?? Some 6 000 000 africans have died so far in that conflict-- is this NOT holocaust?? Who is funding the rebels in DRC??
THE SECURITY COUNCIL IS BEING ABUSED BY RACIST PEOPLE OF THE WORLD TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO!
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