New York Times Editorial Urges Sustained International Pressure on Mugabe as Zimbabwean Opponents Agree on Negotiations
By Daniel Hollingsworth
July 21, 2008 | Printer Friendly

A July 21 editorial in the New York Times warns that despite criticism from traditional allies of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe over “the brutality with which [Mugabe] stole Zimbabwe’s elections last month,” the lack of unified pressure against Mugabe, most notably from Russia, China, and South Africa, could allow him to “settle in for another term of disastrous misrule.”  It writes, “Sustained international pressure will be needed to assure an acceptable outcome — either an internationally supervised rerun of the election or a negotiated transition leading to Mr. Mugabe’s swift departure and Mr. Tsvangirai’s inauguration.”

Reuters reports that on July 21, Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change candidate Morgan Tsvangirai formally agreed to hold negotiations over a possible power sharing arrangement, after weeks of frustrated efforts to arrive at such a deal.  The report writes that the turning point in securing the agreement appears to have been South African President Thabo Mbeki’s willingness to widen the mediation team involved in the negotiations.  “Mbeki, who has up to now negotiated alone as the designated regional mediator, agreed to expand the mediation process to include the African Union, United Nations and officials from the Southern African Development Community in a ‘reference group.’”

The New York Times writes that the Bush administration should continue to push for action in the U.N. Security Council; “press ahead with its own escalating bilateral penalties, encouraging others (in Europe, Africa and elsewhere) to do the same”; and if the talks fail, “encourage all countries to recognize Mr. Tsvangirai as head of a legitimate government in exile.”

References:

New York Times: Editorial: Failing Zimbabwe

Reuters: Mugabe, Tsvangirai sign Zimbabwe framework deal