International reaction to the 2008 Zimbabwean presidential election
Encyclopedia
The events of the first and second rounds of the Zimbabwean presidential election, which Robert Mugabe
of ZANU-PF won on June 27, 2008 after his challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai
of the Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC), withdrew from the process and declared it illegitimate, caused reactions from many international bodies. Other Zimbabwean groups have denounced the poll as well (e.g. the Heads of the Christian Denominations in Zimbabwe.)
, the Foreign Minister of France
, said on July 1 that the European Union
would "accept no government other than a government led by Mr Tsvangirai". Italy
chose to recall its ambassador to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean government spokesman George Charamba
reacted fiercely to Western condemnation, saying that Western critics could "go hang a thousand times". Zimbabwe's Permanent Representative to the UN, Boniface Chidyausiku
, was dismissive of the possibility of UN sanctions, saying that Zimbabwe was "not a threat to international peace and security."
On July 10, the European Parliament
voted for a motion calling on EU member states to impose increased sanctions on members of the Zimbabwean government; it also called on them to actively discourage the presence of European businesses in Zimbabwe. The motion said that the election was "not legitimate" and urged the suspension of Zimbabwe from African regional meetings. There were 591 votes in favor and eight opposed.
On July 13, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
said that pressure on the Zimbabwean government needed to be maintained and that his country would propose the addition of 36 names to the EU's list of 131 Zimbabweans subject to financial and travel sanctions.
The foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states agreed on July 22 to add 37 individuals to the list of individuals subject to EU sanctions; four companies were also added to the list. In a joint statement, the EU foreign ministers described the re-election of Mugabe as "illegitimate" and said that the new sanctions were directed "against those responsible for the campaign of violence that marked the elections"; they also said that additional action would follow if Mugabe remained in power. The foreign ministers also decided to further restrict Mugabe's ability to travel to EU countries; in order to travel there, he would need the approval of all EU member states, rather than a majority, as was previously the case. According to The Herald, the EU's list of individuals subject to sanctions "was arrived at through 'malicious' submissions to the EU by some locals intending to settle personal scores." On July 23, Angola
n Foreign Minister João Bernardo de Miranda
urged the EU to lift the sanctions, saying that they could interfere with negotiations between ZANU-PF and the MDC.
Following a preliminary agreement between ZANU-PF and the MDC on July 21, outlining a framework for negotiations, Miliband described the agreement as a "first step"; he called for an end to violence and the lifting of a ban on international non-governmental organizations operating in Zimbabwe, saying that these conditions were necessary in order for "resolution of the Zimbabwean crisis" to begin.
Desmond Tutu
said on June 29 that there was "a very good argument" for sending "an international force to restore peace" to Zimbabwe. On June 30, Kenya
n Prime Minister Raila Odinga
called for the suspension of Zimbabwe from the African Union
(AU) until Zimbabwe holds free and fair elections; he also called for a new election in the presence of peacekeepers.
An AU summit at Sharm el-Sheikh
in Egypt began on June 30, with Mugabe in attendance. Despite the international prominence of the situation in Zimbabwe and concern from the West, Zimbabwe was reportedly not mentioned in the summit's opening speeches.
On July 1, the AU summit passed a resolution calling for a "government of national unity" in Zimbabwe. The debate over the resolution saw the Vice President of Botswana
, Mompati Merafhe
, criticize Mugabe and the "flawed election", saying that Zimbabwe should be suspended from AU and SADC meetings. Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
said on July 1 that he would "spare no effort to work out a solution" and stressed that Zimbabweans needed to be able to vote without intimidation.
After the AU called for dialogue between ZANU-PF and the MDC, Mbeki said on July 2 that Mugabe was agreeable to this and expressed his commitment to dialogue; Tsvangirai, however, rejected dialogue, saying that violence and "persecution" must stop first.
The AU summit made no resolutions stronger than its call for dialogue and a national unity government, declining to adopt tough measures against Zimbabwe. Mugabe returned to Zimbabwe on July 4 and was welcomed by a celebratory crowd of about 4,000 at the airport in Harare.
Having previously called for the suspension of Zimbabwe from the AU and SADC, on July 4 Botswana's Foreign Minister, Phandu Skelemani
, said that his country did not recognize the election's outcome and hoped that the rest of SADC would likewise refuse recognition. Skelemani called for "expedited" mediation in Zimbabwe within "a defined time frame" that would be based on "mutual trust and good faith" and equal standing between the parties. Mugabe had said at the summit that he was saddened by Botswana's position, and Sekelemani said that he hoped Mugabe would not take Botswana's position personally.
Mbeki met with Mugabe, as well as MDC faction leader Arthur Mutambara
, in Zimbabwe on July 5. On July 6, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband
called on countries to "unite behind a tough, strong, clear Security Council resolution". This resolution, drafted by the United States, proposes that assets belonging to a number of leading political figures be frozen and that their ability to travel abroad be restricted. In addition, Miliband backed Tsvangirai's call for the appointment of an AU mediator, saying that "a clear mix of diplomacy and sanctions" was needed. Along with the US and the UK, France and Germany expressed support for the proposed resolution, but Russia, China, and South Africa did not. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN
, Vitaly Churkin, suggested that the proposed resolution could establish a dangerous precedent, while South Africa expressed concern that it could harm Mbeki's mediation efforts.
, the G8 leaders declared in a statement on July 8 that they considered Mugabe's leadership to be illegitimate and announced that they planned to "take further steps ... against those individuals responsible for the violence". They additionally urged the Zimbabwean government to cooperate with the opposition and called for a UN envoy to be appointed to assess the situation in Zimbabwe. According to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
, the G8 statement "made it clear that we would appoint a U.N. envoy and would impose new sanctions against an illegitimate regime which has blood on its hands." However, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev was more cautious in his view of the statement's implications, saying that there were "as yet no concrete decisions on how the United Nations should act in this situation (and) whether it's necessary to make any special additional decisions". UN involvement in mediation is generally opposed by African governments, including that of South Africa.
Responding to the G8 statement on July 8, Zimbabwean Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga
accused the G8 leaders of trying to "undermine the African Union and President Mbeki's efforts because they are racist, because they think only white people think better", saying that this was "an insult to African leaders".
Speaking in Johannesburg on July 10, Liberia
n President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said that the election was not free and fair and expressed support for the appointment of another "high profile" mediator to work alongside Mbeki.
has officially met on the issue on several occasions.
On 23 June the Council heard a statement about the deteriorating situation and the restrictions imposed on outside election observers. Then, following an off-the-record meeting, the Council issued a statement condemning "the campaign of violence against the political opposition" and expressing "its concern over the impact of the situation in Zimbabwe on the wider region."
After the election an attempt, supported by the United States
and European countries, to have the Security Council declare the election illegitimate was blocked by South Africa
, which argued that the Council was not in the business of certifying elections. The US ambassador, who was President of the Security Council for June, told reporters that the holding of elections was "a matter of deep regret".
On 7 July the Security Council was briefed by the Deputy Secretary-General who said that observations "clearly indicate that the electoral process leading to the declared re-election of President Mugabe was seriously flawed. This profound crisis of legitimacy is further compounded by the paralysis of State institutions. There is currently no functioning parliament. Civil society has been silenced and intimidated. The economy is crippled, with annual inflation reaching 10.5 million per cent by the end of June and unemployment being over 80 per cent, and severe shortages of food and basic services exist. There is an urgent need to restore the rule of law and to start building public institutions."
The Zimbabwean mission to the UN said in a letter on July 10 that a proposed resolution drafted by the US would likely leave Zimbabwe in a lawless state like Somalia
and cause a civil war if it was passed. According to the letter, Zimbabwe was not a threat to other countries and consequently there was no basis for the proposed resolution; the letter also alleged that the proposed resolution was actually intended as punishment for Zimbabwe's land reform
, and it said that the US and the UK were "ignor[ing] real, entrenched, fundamental and enduring issues that lie at the heart of Zimbabwe's internal politics". Additionally, the letter blamed the violence on the MDC.
On 11 July, this draft resolution was brought to the Security Council to impose personal sanctions involving finances and travel against Mugabe and 13 of his top associates, appoint a UN mediator, and impose an arms embargo
against Zimbabwe. The resolution was vetoed by the negative votes of Russia
and China
. Belgium, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Italy, Panama, the United Kingdom, and the United States voted in favor of the resolution; China, Libya, Russia, South Africa, and Vietnam voted against it, while Indonesia abstained.
The ambassador for Russia rejected the United Kingdom's interpretation of a recent statement at the G8 meeting
that "We will take further steps, inter alia introducing financial and other measures against those individuals responsible for violence" made any reference to actions in the Security Council. He added that such an attempt "to take the Council beyond its Charter prerogatives and beyond the maintenance of international peace and security... [was] illegitimate and dangerous."
The ambassador for China
stressed the importance of discussion between the political parties in Zimbabwe and said that the resolution would "interfere with the negotiating process and lead to the further deterioration of the situation".
South African Permanent Representative Dumisani Kumalo
criticized the resolution for being biased in favor of the MDC and against ZANU-PF, and he urged the Security Council to give Mbeki's mediation a chance without potentially undermining it by imposing sanctions. He said that, even if sanctions were eventually deemed necessary, they should not be imposed immediately.
US Permanent Representative Zalmay Khalilzad
was sharply critical of the positions taken by Russia and South Africa. Describing Mugabe's government as a "horrible regime", he said that Mbeki's mediation efforts were a failure, that no "serious" negotiations were taking place, and that it appeared Mbeki was protecting Mugabe and sometimes even working with him. He criticized Russia for what he characterized as a reversal of its position, noting that Russia had backed the G8 statement a few days prior. Khalilzad also said that the US could have considered an arrangement in which sanctions would only be imposed after the passage of a certain length of time, if those opposed to the resolution had chosen to negotiate. The Russian Foreign Ministry strongly rejected the accusation that Russia had reversed its position. British Foreign Secretary Miliband was also critical of Russia's opposition, saying that it would "appear incomprehensible to the people of Zimbabwe".
Zimbabwe's Minister of Information, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu
, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the Security Council vote, and he thanked "those who helped defeat international racism disguised as multilateral action at the UN". According to Ndlovu, the outcome upheld "the principles of non-interference into the sovereign affairs of a UN member state".
said on June 28, 2008 that the US would be imposing new sanctions on "this illegitimate government of Zimbabwe and those who support it", and he called for an international arms embargo on Zimbabwe and the barring of travel by members of its government.
Bush said on July 15 that he was unhappy with Russia and China's Security Council veto and that the US Departments of State and the Treasury were "working on potential US action". At a Senate
hearing later on the same day, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer
said that US sanctions were planned to target individuals as well as Zimbabwean government institutions, although she noted that European sanctions would be more effective because the Zimbabwean economy was more connected to Europe; she also criticized the Russian and Chinese veto, saying that it "enabled Mugabe". Also on July 15, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
said that Mugabe's "tyranny" would cause "perennial instability" in southern Africa for as long as it existed.
Bush announced the signing of an order expanding sanctions on July 25. The US Treasury Department identified 17 entities and one individual (Thamer Bin Saeed Ahmed al-Shanfari, an Oman
i businessman who is alleged to work with the Zimbabwean government, but who strongly denies these allegations and is taking major action to clear his name.) who would have any of their assets in the US frozen. Bush also said that if the talks "result[ed] in a new government that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people, the United States stands ready to provide a substantial assistance package, development aid, and normalization with international financial institutions".
announced more sanctions aimed at "isolating and maintaining pressure on key members of the Zimbabwe regime", including the freezing of any assets they held in Canada, as well as placing a ban on the export of arms from Canada to Zimbabwe. It also banned Zimbabwean aircraft from flying over or landing in Canada.
on September 25, President Mugabe "appeal[ed] to the world's collective conscience to apply pressure for the immediate removal of these sanctions by Britain, the United States and their allies, which have brought untold suffering to our people". He described the leaders behind the sanctions as "international perpetrators of genocide, acts of aggression and mass destruction".
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
of ZANU-PF won on June 27, 2008 after his challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. He is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai and a key figure in the opposition to President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on 11 February 2009...
of the Movement for Democratic Change
Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...
(MDC), withdrew from the process and declared it illegitimate, caused reactions from many international bodies. Other Zimbabwean groups have denounced the poll as well (e.g. the Heads of the Christian Denominations in Zimbabwe.)
European Union
Bernard KouchnerBernard Kouchner
Bernard Kouchner is a French politician, diplomat, and doctor. He is co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières and Médecins du Monde...
, the Foreign Minister of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, said on July 1 that the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
would "accept no government other than a government led by Mr Tsvangirai". Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
chose to recall its ambassador to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean government spokesman George Charamba
George Charamba
George Charamba is the press secretary in the president's office and permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information in Zimbabwe. His position makes him the official spokesperson for President Robert Mugabe.- Background :...
reacted fiercely to Western condemnation, saying that Western critics could "go hang a thousand times". Zimbabwe's Permanent Representative to the UN, Boniface Chidyausiku
Boniface Chidyausiku
Lieutenant Colonel Boniface Guwa Chidyausiku is the current Zimbabwean Ambassador to the Russian Federation. Chidyausiku participated in the Zimbabwe Liberation War as a member of ZANLA from 1975 to 1980, which led to the attainment of National Independence and multiracial democracy...
, was dismissive of the possibility of UN sanctions, saying that Zimbabwe was "not a threat to international peace and security."
On July 10, the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
voted for a motion calling on EU member states to impose increased sanctions on members of the Zimbabwean government; it also called on them to actively discourage the presence of European businesses in Zimbabwe. The motion said that the election was "not legitimate" and urged the suspension of Zimbabwe from African regional meetings. There were 591 votes in favor and eight opposed.
On July 13, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
said that pressure on the Zimbabwean government needed to be maintained and that his country would propose the addition of 36 names to the EU's list of 131 Zimbabweans subject to financial and travel sanctions.
The foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states agreed on July 22 to add 37 individuals to the list of individuals subject to EU sanctions; four companies were also added to the list. In a joint statement, the EU foreign ministers described the re-election of Mugabe as "illegitimate" and said that the new sanctions were directed "against those responsible for the campaign of violence that marked the elections"; they also said that additional action would follow if Mugabe remained in power. The foreign ministers also decided to further restrict Mugabe's ability to travel to EU countries; in order to travel there, he would need the approval of all EU member states, rather than a majority, as was previously the case. According to The Herald, the EU's list of individuals subject to sanctions "was arrived at through 'malicious' submissions to the EU by some locals intending to settle personal scores." On July 23, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
n Foreign Minister João Bernardo de Miranda
João Bernardo de Miranda
João Bernardo de Miranda is an Angolan politician. He was the Minister of External Relations of Angola from January 1999 to October 2008.-Early life:De Miranda was born in Bengo, Angola...
urged the EU to lift the sanctions, saying that they could interfere with negotiations between ZANU-PF and the MDC.
Following a preliminary agreement between ZANU-PF and the MDC on July 21, outlining a framework for negotiations, Miliband described the agreement as a "first step"; he called for an end to violence and the lifting of a ban on international non-governmental organizations operating in Zimbabwe, saying that these conditions were necessary in order for "resolution of the Zimbabwean crisis" to begin.
African Union and SADC
The South African Development Community (SADC) criticized the election in a statement on June 29, saying that it "did not represent the will of the people of Zimbabwe" and that "the prevailing environment impinged on the credibility of the electoral process".Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
said on June 29 that there was "a very good argument" for sending "an international force to restore peace" to Zimbabwe. On June 30, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n Prime Minister Raila Odinga
Raila Odinga
Raila Amollo Odinga , also popularly known to Kenyans as Agwambo, is a Kenyan politician, currently serving as the Prime Minister of Kenya in a coalition government. He has served as a Member of Parliament for Langata since 1992, was Minister of Energy from 2001 to 2002, and was Minister of Roads,...
called for the suspension of Zimbabwe from the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
(AU) until Zimbabwe holds free and fair elections; he also called for a new election in the presence of peacekeepers.
An AU summit at Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 35,000...
in Egypt began on June 30, with Mugabe in attendance. Despite the international prominence of the situation in Zimbabwe and concern from the West, Zimbabwe was reportedly not mentioned in the summit's opening speeches.
On July 1, the AU summit passed a resolution calling for a "government of national unity" in Zimbabwe. The debate over the resolution saw the Vice President of Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, Mompati Merafhe
Mompati Merafhe
Lt. Gen. Mompati Sebogodi Merafhe is a Botswana politician, currently serving as Vice-President. He is a retired Lieutenant-General and was Botswana's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2008.-Biography:...
, criticize Mugabe and the "flawed election", saying that Zimbabwe should be suspended from AU and SADC meetings. Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
said on July 1 that he would "spare no effort to work out a solution" and stressed that Zimbabweans needed to be able to vote without intimidation.
After the AU called for dialogue between ZANU-PF and the MDC, Mbeki said on July 2 that Mugabe was agreeable to this and expressed his commitment to dialogue; Tsvangirai, however, rejected dialogue, saying that violence and "persecution" must stop first.
The AU summit made no resolutions stronger than its call for dialogue and a national unity government, declining to adopt tough measures against Zimbabwe. Mugabe returned to Zimbabwe on July 4 and was welcomed by a celebratory crowd of about 4,000 at the airport in Harare.
Having previously called for the suspension of Zimbabwe from the AU and SADC, on July 4 Botswana's Foreign Minister, Phandu Skelemani
Phandu Skelemani
Phandu Tombola Chaka Skelemani is a Botswana politician of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party , currently serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs...
, said that his country did not recognize the election's outcome and hoped that the rest of SADC would likewise refuse recognition. Skelemani called for "expedited" mediation in Zimbabwe within "a defined time frame" that would be based on "mutual trust and good faith" and equal standing between the parties. Mugabe had said at the summit that he was saddened by Botswana's position, and Sekelemani said that he hoped Mugabe would not take Botswana's position personally.
Mbeki met with Mugabe, as well as MDC faction leader Arthur Mutambara
Arthur Mutambara
Arthur Guseni Oliver Mutambara is a Zimbabwean politician. He became the President of the Movement for Democratic Change-Mutambara faction in February 2006. He has worked as the Managing Director and CEO of Africa Technology and Business Institute since September 2003...
, in Zimbabwe on July 5. On July 6, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband
David Miliband
David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
called on countries to "unite behind a tough, strong, clear Security Council resolution". This resolution, drafted by the United States, proposes that assets belonging to a number of leading political figures be frozen and that their ability to travel abroad be restricted. In addition, Miliband backed Tsvangirai's call for the appointment of an AU mediator, saying that "a clear mix of diplomacy and sanctions" was needed. Along with the US and the UK, France and Germany expressed support for the proposed resolution, but Russia, China, and South Africa did not. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN
Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations
This is a list of permanent representatives of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation to the United Nations- Of the Soviet Union :- Of Russia :- External links :...
, Vitaly Churkin, suggested that the proposed resolution could establish a dangerous precedent, while South Africa expressed concern that it could harm Mbeki's mediation efforts.
G8 summit
At a G8 summit in Tokyo34th G8 summit
The 34th G8 summit took place in on the northern island of Hokkaidō, Japan from July 7–9, 2008. The locations of previous summits to have been hosted by Japan include: Tokyo ; and Nago, Okinawa . The G8 Summit has evolved beyond being a gathering of world political leaders...
, the G8 leaders declared in a statement on July 8 that they considered Mugabe's leadership to be illegitimate and announced that they planned to "take further steps ... against those individuals responsible for the violence". They additionally urged the Zimbabwean government to cooperate with the opposition and called for a UN envoy to be appointed to assess the situation in Zimbabwe. According to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, the G8 statement "made it clear that we would appoint a U.N. envoy and would impose new sanctions against an illegitimate regime which has blood on its hands." However, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev was more cautious in his view of the statement's implications, saying that there were "as yet no concrete decisions on how the United Nations should act in this situation (and) whether it's necessary to make any special additional decisions". UN involvement in mediation is generally opposed by African governments, including that of South Africa.
Responding to the G8 statement on July 8, Zimbabwean Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga
Bright Matonga
Bright Matonga is a Zimbabwean politician. He is formerly the Deputy Information Minister in the cabinet of president Robert Mugabe. In the 2008 parliamentary election, as a member of the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front, he was elected from the Mhondoro-Ngezi constituency....
accused the G8 leaders of trying to "undermine the African Union and President Mbeki's efforts because they are racist, because they think only white people think better", saying that this was "an insult to African leaders".
Speaking in Johannesburg on July 10, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
n President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said that the election was not free and fair and expressed support for the appointment of another "high profile" mediator to work alongside Mbeki.
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security CouncilUnited Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
has officially met on the issue on several occasions.
On 23 June the Council heard a statement about the deteriorating situation and the restrictions imposed on outside election observers. Then, following an off-the-record meeting, the Council issued a statement condemning "the campaign of violence against the political opposition" and expressing "its concern over the impact of the situation in Zimbabwe on the wider region."
After the election an attempt, supported by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and European countries, to have the Security Council declare the election illegitimate was blocked by South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, which argued that the Council was not in the business of certifying elections. The US ambassador, who was President of the Security Council for June, told reporters that the holding of elections was "a matter of deep regret".
On 7 July the Security Council was briefed by the Deputy Secretary-General who said that observations "clearly indicate that the electoral process leading to the declared re-election of President Mugabe was seriously flawed. This profound crisis of legitimacy is further compounded by the paralysis of State institutions. There is currently no functioning parliament. Civil society has been silenced and intimidated. The economy is crippled, with annual inflation reaching 10.5 million per cent by the end of June and unemployment being over 80 per cent, and severe shortages of food and basic services exist. There is an urgent need to restore the rule of law and to start building public institutions."
The Zimbabwean mission to the UN said in a letter on July 10 that a proposed resolution drafted by the US would likely leave Zimbabwe in a lawless state like Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
and cause a civil war if it was passed. According to the letter, Zimbabwe was not a threat to other countries and consequently there was no basis for the proposed resolution; the letter also alleged that the proposed resolution was actually intended as punishment for Zimbabwe's land reform
Land reform in Zimbabwe
Land reform in Zimbabwe officially began in 1979 with the signing of the Lancaster House Agreement, an effort to more equitably distribute land between the historically disenfranchised blacks and the minority-whites who ruled Zimbabwe from 1890 to 1979...
, and it said that the US and the UK were "ignor[ing] real, entrenched, fundamental and enduring issues that lie at the heart of Zimbabwe's internal politics". Additionally, the letter blamed the violence on the MDC.
On 11 July, this draft resolution was brought to the Security Council to impose personal sanctions involving finances and travel against Mugabe and 13 of his top associates, appoint a UN mediator, and impose an arms embargo
Arms embargo
An arms embargo is an embargo that applies to weaponry. It may also include "dual use" items. An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes:# to signal disapproval of behavior by a certain actor,# to maintain neutral standing in an ongoing conflict, or...
against Zimbabwe. The resolution was vetoed by the negative votes of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Belgium, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Italy, Panama, the United Kingdom, and the United States voted in favor of the resolution; China, Libya, Russia, South Africa, and Vietnam voted against it, while Indonesia abstained.
The ambassador for Russia rejected the United Kingdom's interpretation of a recent statement at the G8 meeting
34th G8 summit
The 34th G8 summit took place in on the northern island of Hokkaidō, Japan from July 7–9, 2008. The locations of previous summits to have been hosted by Japan include: Tokyo ; and Nago, Okinawa . The G8 Summit has evolved beyond being a gathering of world political leaders...
that "We will take further steps, inter alia introducing financial and other measures against those individuals responsible for violence" made any reference to actions in the Security Council. He added that such an attempt "to take the Council beyond its Charter prerogatives and beyond the maintenance of international peace and security... [was] illegitimate and dangerous."
The ambassador for China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
stressed the importance of discussion between the political parties in Zimbabwe and said that the resolution would "interfere with the negotiating process and lead to the further deterioration of the situation".
South African Permanent Representative Dumisani Kumalo
Dumisani Kumalo
Dumisani Shadrack Kumalo is a South African diplomat, currently serving as the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations....
criticized the resolution for being biased in favor of the MDC and against ZANU-PF, and he urged the Security Council to give Mbeki's mediation a chance without potentially undermining it by imposing sanctions. He said that, even if sanctions were eventually deemed necessary, they should not be imposed immediately.
US Permanent Representative Zalmay Khalilzad
Zalmay Khalilzad
Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad is a counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and president of Khalilzad Associates, an international business consulting firm based in Washington, DC. He was the United States Ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush...
was sharply critical of the positions taken by Russia and South Africa. Describing Mugabe's government as a "horrible regime", he said that Mbeki's mediation efforts were a failure, that no "serious" negotiations were taking place, and that it appeared Mbeki was protecting Mugabe and sometimes even working with him. He criticized Russia for what he characterized as a reversal of its position, noting that Russia had backed the G8 statement a few days prior. Khalilzad also said that the US could have considered an arrangement in which sanctions would only be imposed after the passage of a certain length of time, if those opposed to the resolution had chosen to negotiate. The Russian Foreign Ministry strongly rejected the accusation that Russia had reversed its position. British Foreign Secretary Miliband was also critical of Russia's opposition, saying that it would "appear incomprehensible to the people of Zimbabwe".
Zimbabwe's Minister of Information, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu
Sikhanyiso Ndlovu
Sikhanyiso Ndlovu is a Zimbabwean politician and a former Minister of Information and Publicity. He is also a member of the ZANU-PF Politburo.-Political career:...
, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the Security Council vote, and he thanked "those who helped defeat international racism disguised as multilateral action at the UN". According to Ndlovu, the outcome upheld "the principles of non-interference into the sovereign affairs of a UN member state".
United States
Immediately after the election, US President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
said on June 28, 2008 that the US would be imposing new sanctions on "this illegitimate government of Zimbabwe and those who support it", and he called for an international arms embargo on Zimbabwe and the barring of travel by members of its government.
Bush said on July 15 that he was unhappy with Russia and China's Security Council veto and that the US Departments of State and the Treasury were "working on potential US action". At a Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
hearing later on the same day, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer
Jendayi Frazer
Jendayi Elizabeth Frazer is the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, heading the Bureau of African Affairs. She currently serves as a Distinguished Service Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College and Department of Social and Decision...
said that US sanctions were planned to target individuals as well as Zimbabwean government institutions, although she noted that European sanctions would be more effective because the Zimbabwean economy was more connected to Europe; she also criticized the Russian and Chinese veto, saying that it "enabled Mugabe". Also on July 15, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
said that Mugabe's "tyranny" would cause "perennial instability" in southern Africa for as long as it existed.
Bush announced the signing of an order expanding sanctions on July 25. The US Treasury Department identified 17 entities and one individual (Thamer Bin Saeed Ahmed al-Shanfari, an Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
i businessman who is alleged to work with the Zimbabwean government, but who strongly denies these allegations and is taking major action to clear his name.) who would have any of their assets in the US frozen. Bush also said that if the talks "result[ed] in a new government that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people, the United States stands ready to provide a substantial assistance package, development aid, and normalization with international financial institutions".
Canada
In the immediate aftermath of the second round, Canada imposed sanctions restricting the activities of individual Zimbabwean government figures inside Canada. On September 5, Canadian Foreign Minister David EmersonDavid Emerson
David Lee Emerson, PC, OBC is a Canadian politician, businessman and civil servant.Emerson is a former Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver Kingsway. He was first elected as a Liberal and served as Minister of Industry under Prime Minister Paul Martin...
announced more sanctions aimed at "isolating and maintaining pressure on key members of the Zimbabwe regime", including the freezing of any assets they held in Canada, as well as placing a ban on the export of arms from Canada to Zimbabwe. It also banned Zimbabwean aircraft from flying over or landing in Canada.
Zimbabwean reaction to sanctions
Speaking at the United Nations General AssemblyUnited Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
on September 25, President Mugabe "appeal[ed] to the world's collective conscience to apply pressure for the immediate removal of these sanctions by Britain, the United States and their allies, which have brought untold suffering to our people". He described the leaders behind the sanctions as "international perpetrators of genocide, acts of aggression and mass destruction".