Cyprus-Forum.com

[miltiades]

According to Eliko , this wonderful man is the victim of Western world propaganda !!
Here a respected journalist Olivia Ward reports "

Mugabe believes he's `appointed by God'

Even if Zimbabwean leader gives up power, some of his loyalists are prepared to wage war
Jun 24, 2008 04:30 AM
Olivia Ward
FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPORTER

As African and Western countries struggle to find a plan to remove Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe – before he declares himself winner of an uncontested election Friday – the aging strongman is turning on his people with renewed ferocity.

Observers are calling it the last thrash of a regime that has beaten, starved and murdered Zimbabweans for years. And observers say the violence may continue even if he is ousted.

Mugabe, 84 and reportedly in poor health, considers himself "appointed by God," and says he will never give up power. But he is under increasing pressure from his neighbours to step down.

Before a meeting of the United Nations Security Council yesterday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Mugabe to abandon the runoff election, after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew his name and took shelter in the Netherlands embassy in Harare, saying he wanted to avoid deadly reprisals against his supporters.

"There has been too much violence and too much intimidation," Ban told reporters. "A vote held in these conditions would lack all legitimacy."

A draft statement tabled by Britain asked the council to give "full support" to Tsvangirai, in the absence of a legitimate runoff. In the first round of voting in March, his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won a parliamentary victory, but the electoral commission said he had too few votes to win the presidency outright.

Since then, dozens of Zimbabweans have been killed, several thousand wounded, and thousands more displaced in election-linked attacks.

President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, an old anti-colonial ally of Mugabe, is under pressure to push the Zimbabwean leader to depart. But so far such pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Even if Mugabe exits, the violence may not cease. Experts on the region say that the security forces – along with violent militias loyal to the Mugabe regime – will not give up when the leader disappears.

"There would definitely be a problem if Mugabe went," says Zimbabwean Knox Chitiyo of the Royal United Services Institute in London. "The security sector has made it very clear they won't accept anybody from the MDC. So how could the party govern?"

Mugabe's loyal inner circle has helped him rule with an iron hand, and members were free in return to help themselves to the country's wealth.

Now they fear criminal charges for corruption and violence if they give up power.

"There are five or six people in Mugabe's Joint Operations Command who were with him in the bush in his early days," says Georgette Gagnon, Human Rights Watch's Africa director. "This is the group that is running the place."

A report on violence in Zimbabwe by the New York-based group says that the command – including heads of the defence, police, intelligence and prison services – is linked with the youth militia and "war veterans" groups that have terrorized suspected opposition members and intimidated voters.

They have an ample supply of weapons, the latest reportedly arriving on a Chinese ship that was turned back from South Africa, but managed to deliver mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and ammunition to Zimbabwe last month.

Tsvangirai and his party are not trained or armed to fight.

"They have a nominal advantage in the parliament, but no `hard power,'" says Chitiyo. "That counts for nothing."

And he adds, "Mugabe's ZANU-PF party is more powerful than ever, in spite of international ostracism and an economy in shambles. Tsvangirai will have a problem figuring out what to do next, because people are disappointed, and he could lose support."

The MDC is expected to make a statement of its plans tomorrow.

Whether Mbeki and other African leaders who have spoken out against Mugabe will be able to convince the truculent leader to quit by then is in doubt. However diplomats are hoping their combined persuasion will force him to accept a negotiated exit.

If that happens, international efforts would be needed to prevent a bloodbath if Mugabe's supporters were to strike back, says Mark Bellamy, a former U.S. ambassador to Kenya and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. But he says their hold can be broken.

"A small observer force, a monitoring mission or peacekeeping force ought to be possible to manage the risk of residual resistance," he says.

"Once those around Mugabe know the game is over, a lot of them are going to head for cover."

[CBBB]

Obviously British and American propaganda!!!!!!

Bring back Idi Amin!!!!!!

[Magnus]

Neither of them is as good as Mussolini.

[CBBB]

Mussolini got the trains running on time as well!

[purdey]

Plenty of words, a few pictures, but let's be honest, who really cares (in Government). Zimbabwe has nothing to offer anyone, the wealth and land has been raped, there is no oil, tabacco, gold.
Guaranteed if there was something of value in Zimbabwe there would be a full scale invasion by the US and UK with a few South Africans. Life is cheap in Africa, and governments around the world rarely give a toss.

[Eliko]

Interesting to note that the latest reports on Zimbabwe have made mention to 'The Partisans' who. are in opposition to Robert Mugabe, obviously, were the shoe on the other foot, these 'Partisans' would be referred to as 'Terrorists'.

Since Robert Mugabe IS still the president of that nation (whether we like it or not) the latter title is the more appropriate, except for those who blindly follow whatever nonsense the media would have them believe, unfortunately there are still a few of them about.

Perhaps their greatest spokesman in support of all the death and destruction (on this forum) can inform we of lesser intelligence (according to him) just what value is there in heaping MORE hardships on a starving nation ?.

How does denying them the right to travel and subjecting them to deprivation , help them ?.

What good will depriving them of electrical power achieve to such a down-trodden population ?.

I believe there is a member here who wishes to 'Wriggle Out' of a trap he has placed himself in by advocating MORE atrocities than are already apparent, no surprise actually, this member is a supporter of atrocities wherever his 'Mentors' may wish to commit them.

In my humble opinion.

[greggy]

Mugabe is just another reason why the continent of Africa will never succeed without the support of the western world and eastern (investment from China)
The continent is riddled with dictators interested in only Power and Wealth. They allow thier people to starve while filling thier own pockets and blame thier poverty, lack of education and troubles on the colonialists and western influences. Its about time the whole continent learned to support itself without the aid we send and for once and for all sort their s$%t out

[CBBB]

There are those who believe what the western press says and then there are those who belive that if it was in the western press, it is lies.

Unfortunately there aren't enough people in the middle who try to dig further to find out what is true and what isn't. We could do with some of these here, not just the pros and the antis!

[purdey]

Maybe you should try and visit some of these countries, either off your own back or with a charitable organisation. There is no better experience than seeing it with your own eyes. I have not been to Zimabwe but I have been to Freetown in Sierra Leon during the troubles.
I noted a few pieces on the news on return but nothing that gave an incite into what was going on. Savagery beyond belief, no gender issues there or thought for children. For what ?

[greggy]

Ive been to Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa. Ive seen first hand what these savages running these countries are capeable of. poverty beyond belief. Violence orchestrated from the man in charge on innocent people. sadly, innocent life in Africa is worthless so nothing will ever be done. It will continue to turn to s*%t and the innocent people will continue to suffer