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Last Updated: Jul 20, 2008 - 6:24:41 AM |
Morgan Tsvangirai has agreed to enter power sharing talks with Robert
Mugabe, saying Zimbabweans have suffered enough and it is time for that
country's crisis to come to an end. This was the upshot of Friday's
decision by President Thabo Mbeki, who is mediating between the various
Zimbabwean parties, to appoint a reference group to assist in
negotiations. Independent Newspapers understands that power-sharing
talks could begin as early as next week. The breakthrough comes as SADC
foreign, defence and security ministers were warned in Durban on
Friday, that the region's unity and peace, was being threatened by
member states' differences over Zimbabwe. Reached for comment on Friday
night, Tsvangirai, the leader of the majority faction in the Movement
for Democratic Change, said: "I think we do have to co-operate with the
group and expedite the second phase which is to start substantive
negotiations." "I am advised that the reference group with Mbeki is
coming to Harare on Monday to sign the memorandum of understanding and
we will obviously sign as well. It is a positive step and we look
forward to finding the solution we were looking for. Zimbabweans had
suffered enough and its time for this (the crisis) to come to an end."
The three man group, comprising special representatives from the
African Union, the United Nations, and SADC, was agreed upon on Friday
at a meeting attended by Mbeki, AU Commisioner Dr Jean Ping, UN envoy
Haile Menkerios and Angola's deputy foreign minister George Chikote, as
well as the South African facilitators. Speaking on their behalf,
Minister Sydney Mufumadi, described the group as a "support mechanism".
He said Mbeki had "invited" the three men "to constitute a reference
group which will interact with the mediator on an ongoing basis in
order to ensure that we get through the mediator systematic support to
continue with the process of executing the task given to him by the
SADC". Tsvangirai has previously resisted entering into power sharing
talks, demanding that a second mediator be appointed to assist Mbeki,
whom he believes is not impartial. Mufamadi said "we think it is
important for the facilitators to have the benefit of such input". He
said the group would be kept informed on an ongoing basis at a
strategic level and he said they would appoint people on the ground in
the country wherever the negotiations take place and that those
appointees would get "briefings on a daily basis from the facilitation
team". UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon had accepted the move. Speaking
on his behalf, Menkerios said the UN security council had supported
Mbeki and SADC's efforts and that this new reference group allowed this
support "to find expression".
Angolan foreign minister Dr Joao Bernardo de Miranda on Friday told his
regional colleagues in Durban that regional differences over Zimbabwe
could threaten peace and unity. Among those who have been openly
critical of Mugabe, include Levy Mwanawasa and Botswana's President Ian
Khama, as opposed to the Zimbabwean leader's traditional allies such as
Angolan president Eduardo dos Santos. Miranda, who chairs the SADC
organ on politics, peace and security, was speaking at the opening of
its ministerial committee meeting, and warned that the region was faced
with an "unprecedented situation". The organ is the body that mandated
Mbeki to become the Zimbabwean mediator. The Durban meeting was delayed
by more than four hours to allow Mbeki's talks in Pretoria to set up
the reference group to conclude. Speaking in Portuguese, which was
translated into English and French, Miranda referred to the "many
interpretations" about last month's Zimbabwean presidential run-off
election. "As a result the unity and cohesion of SADC is somehow
fragilised (sic). Such a fact... is a very dangerous precedent, a very
worrying situation because in fact it touches on the fundamental
principles of our organisation and which could constitute an obstacle
to regional peace."
He warned that it could also scupper the implementation of steps
already taken for political integration, as well as social and economic
integration of our region. "The situation in Zimbabwe is regrettably
very complex, but should lead us to a deep analysis about the
principles provided in the Treaty of SADC, in order to preserve our
unity, as well as safeguard our gains," Miranda said. He told the
minister present that it was their duty to defend and fight for the
organisaiton?s unity, irrespective of "the political positions that we
feel or even religious convictions which characterize our region".
Solidarity had always been the pillar of SADC's unity, Miranda said.
Sapa reports that a small group of Zimbabweans staged a protest near
Durban's International Convention Centre where the organ's meeting was
taking place. The small group held up a number of posters, including a
banner which read: "A Brave Africa can Save Zimbabwe." All the
protesters were wearing white shirts splattered with red ink.
Source:Ocnus.net 2008
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