Zimbabwe: 2008 Post-election - internationalisation of the conflict

Updated 16 July 2008

The delay in the announcement of the presidential results and the mounting conflict between Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions led to growing international concern. President Mwanawasa of Zambia, the Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), convened an Extra-Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government to discuss the situation. In a communiqué issued after the summit the following remarks were made (SADC 2008):

The Summit urged the electoral authorities in Zimbabwe that verification and release of results are expeditiously done in accordance with due process of law. Summit also urged all the parties in the electoral process in Zimbabwe to accept the results when they are announced. By due process of law, Summit understood to mean that:
a) the verification and counting must be done in the presence of candidates and/or their agents, if they so wish, who must all sign the authenticity of such verification and counting
b) SADC offers to send Election Observer Mission who would be present throughout such verification and counting

The matter was also raised at a Summit between the Security Council of the United Nations (UN) and the African Union. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon deplored, "the uncertainty created by the prolonged non-release of the election results... Absent a transparent solution to this impasse, the situation could deteriorate further with serious implications for the people of Zimbabwe." He expressed impatience with efforts made by SADC to address the problem, "the international community continues to watch and wait for decisive action. The credibility of the democratic process in Africa could be at stake here" (Allen 2008).

The deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe led to the matter being scheduled for discussion by the UN Security Council on 29 April 2008 at the request of the United States, Britain and France (SABC News 2008. See also Post-harmonised election violence). The Secretary General of the MDC-Tsvangirai faction (MDC-T), Tendai Biti, was scheduled to address the Council (Karimakwenda 2008). The Security Council was not briefed by Tendai Biti and the members could not agree on a course of action (Njanji 2008).

On 22 June Morgan Tsivangarai, leader of and presidential candidate for the Movement for Democratic Change-Tsivangarai (MDC-T), announced his party's withdrawal from the presidential run-off (see 2008 Presidential run-off) as a result of the political violence in the country (see 2008 Post-election violence). On the 23 June the President of the Security Council of the United Nations made a statement on behalf of the Council that condemned the violence against the opposition in Zimbabwe and the governments prevention of a free campaign by the opposition (UN 2008). The statement went on to say that: "The Security Council regrets that the campaign of violence and the restrictions on the political opposition have made it impossible for a free and fair election to take place on June 27" (UN 2008).

On 25 June a special meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s peace and security troika issued a statement that called for the presidential run-off to be postponed, saying that "holding the election under the current circumstances may undermine the credibility and legitimacy of its outcome" (Mombe & Mafaro 2008).

On 1 July, after the run-off on the 27 June, the African Union (2008) summit in Egypt passed a resolution that called for negotiations between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangerai and for a government of national unity.

The United States and the United Kingdom along with other western countries as well as Liberia and Sierra Leone proposed a resolution before the Security Council that would have imposed an arms embargo and limited sanctions on Zimbabwean officials (UN Security Council 2008). The measure was, however, vetoed by Russia and China on the 11 July 2008 (Berger 2008).

References

AFRICAN UNION 2008 "Summit resolution on Zimbabwe", 1 July, http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/demgg/080701au.asp?sector=&year=0&range_start=1 [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

ALLEN, J 2008 "Zimbabwe: UN Chief Calls for 'Decisive Action' on Polls", allAfrica.com, 16 April 2008, [www] http://allafrica.com/stories/200804161149.html [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

BERGER, S 2008 "Zimbabwe: Russia and China veto sanctions", 12 July, Telegraph.co.uk, [www] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/2288579/Zimbabwe-Russia-and-China-veto-sanctions.html [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

KARIMAKWENDA, T 2008 "MDC to brief UN Security Council on Zimbabwe crisis", SW Radio, 28 April, [www] http://www.swradioafrica.com/news280408/mdctoun280408.htm [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

MOMBE, J & MAFARO, W 2008 "SADC troika calls for postponement of Zim poll", 26 June, ZimOnline, [www] http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=3360 [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

NJANJI, S 2008 "Zimbabwe gloats over UN stalemate", Mail & Guardian, 30 April, [www] http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-04-30-zimbabwe-gloats-over-un-stalemate [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

SADC 2008 "Communiqué: First Extra-Ordinary SADC Summit Of Heads of State and Government", 13 April, [www] http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/story.php?art_id=3929&cat=4 [opens new window] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).

UN 2008 "Statement by the President of the Security Council of the United Nations", 23 June, [www] http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N08/395/42/PDF/N0839542.pdf?OpenElement (offline 5 Mar 2010).

UN SECURITY COUNCIL 2008 "Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, France, Italy, Liberia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sierra Leone, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America: draft resolution", 11 July, [www] http://www.swradioafrica.com/Documents/ZimDraftResolution-N0842069.pdf [PDF document] (accessed 5 Mar 2010).