International Reaction To The 2008 Zimbabwean Presidential Election - African Union and SADC

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 said on June 29 that there was "a very good argument" for sending "an international force to restore peace" to Zimbabwe. On June 30, Kenyan 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.