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8 December 2003
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Commonwealth Reviews Zimbabwe's Suspension
Last week's Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting [CHOGM] in Nigeria had a long and fruitless debate of the suspension of Robert Mugabe's government that is currently misruling Zimbabwe. The CHOGM decided to create a six-member working party to look into whether the suspension should continue. If the group decides that Mr. Mugabe should be invited to rejoin, then the Commonwealth is even more of a joke than ever.
Mr. Mugabe's regime, which has been in power since the nation ceased being white-ruled Rhodesia some 23 years ago, stole the last election from the opposition and was duly suspended from the Commonwealth. The only other nation suspended is Pakistan, where the thoroughly useful anti-terrorist regime is, sadly, a military bunch that overthrew a democratically elected government.
Naturally, Mr. Mugabe blames the white part of the Commonwealth for his suspension because he is taking land from white farmers and giving it to blacks. For the record, land reform in Africa is howlingly needed, but Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF has also arrested opponents, closed newspapers, achieved 300% inflation with 70% unemployment, while leaving 50% of his 14 million people hungry every day.
When the leaders of the Commonwealth got up Friday for the beginning session, they received This Day, a Nigerian daily, and inside it was a 48-page edition of Zimbabwe's Daily News -- a paper that Mr. Mugabe closed in its native land. In it were reports of the crimes of Mr. Mugabe's regime -- black on black crimes. The suppression of a black population by a black regime that stole and election from a black opposition. Mr. Mugabe's race card is a canard.
Nigeria was under a similar suspension not too long ago, as the military had kicked out a civilian regime. It was reinstated after a fair and open election, and less than a decade later, hosted the latest CHOGM. Zimbabwe should be reinstated as well, once Mr. Mugabe surrenders power. This would only be treating all regimes in Africa equally.
Mr. Mugabe said that there were other clubs to join if the Commonwealth did not want his country. Might one suggest he join the African Society of Ex-Dictators -- he can share a room with Charles Taylor of Liberia.
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