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Southern African leaders tackle Zimbabwe crisis
2007-03-29
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete denied Thursday that an emergency summit of southern African leaders would put pressure on embattled Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. "Pressure? We are in a meeting, not pressure," Kikwete told reporters before the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit got into full swing Thursday morning. Leaders gathered for the SADC meeting on Wednesday as Zimbabwean police raided the headquarters of the main opposition party, increasing calls for the regional leaders to speak out against Mugabe. "Your coming is a clear testimony of your commitment to the maintenance of peace and security in our region," Kikwete told leaders from the 14-nation SADC. "Indeed, our region faces some daunting challenges," Kikwete said. "However complex and difficult some may appear, none of them is difficult to fix." "I believe, through open and frank discussions, we will be able to diagnose properly the political and security problems facing our region and the course of action to deal with them," he added. Raids in Zimbabwe on opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) headquarters on Tuesday and Wednesday -- during which 35 people were arrested -- upped international condemnation of Mugabe's regime. The European Union said on Thursday it is "deeply concerned" by continuing repression in Zimbabwe, and called on Harare to open dialogue with political opponents. But SADC countries have been more muted in their response, even though they have most to lose from the fallout. Rights group Amnesty International urged the regional governments to put pressure on Mugabe's regime, which is also blamed for plunging the country into economic chaos, with an inflation rate of 1,730 percent and unemployment of 80 percent. "SADC leaders meeting in Tanzania must now send an unequivocal message to the government of Zimbabwe that human rights violations in that country will no longer be tolerated," said Kolawole Olaniyan, the director of Amnesty International's Africa programme. New York-based Human Rights Watch said, "The crisis is reaching a breaking point and it is likely to get a lot worse ... There is so much fear in Zimbabwe, security agents are everywhere." Three SADC countries charged with dealing with Zimbabwe -- Tanzania, Namibia and Angola -- met behind closed doors late Wednesday. Tanzanian officials said SADC chiefs would try to convince Mugabe to meet the MDC leaders in a bid to dissolve mounting acrimony that threatens Zimbabwe's stability. The South African government expressed its disapproval of Zimbabwe's crushing of political protests on Wednesday, during a special parliamentary debate on the crisis in its northern neighbour. The Democratic Republic of Congo was also on the agenda after deadly clashes there last week between the military and militia loyal to former vice-president and ex-rebel chief Jean Pierre Bemba, that claimed up to 500 lives, according to the German ambassador in Kinshasa. South African President Thabo Mbeki held talks with his DRC counterpart Joseph Kabila Thursday before the summit began. "Mbeki and Kabila met and discussed the violence in Kinshasa. Whatever they agreed on will be presented to the heads of states," a Congolese government official told AFP. Bemba, who has been accused of high treason by Kabila's government, has taken refuge at the South African embassy in Kinshasa. Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba, Mozambique's President Armando Emilio Guebuza, Lesotho's Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika, Botswanan Vice President Ian Khama, Angolan Foreign Minister Joao Bernardo de Miranda, Mauritius High Commissioner Mohamed Bossa and Prime Minister of Swaziland Themba Dlamini are also taking part in the talks in Dar es Salaam.
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