RSS 2.0 FeedSeptember 2009 Vol 11, National News
EC urges SADC, AU to act swiftly on Harare
HARARE – The European Commission (EC) on Monday called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU) to intervene to stop a crisis threatening Zimbabwe’s eight-month old coalition government.
HARARE – The European Commission (EC) on Monday called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU) to intervene to stop a crisis threatening Zimbabwe’s eight-month old coalition government.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who formed a power-sharing government with President Robert Mugabe in February to end a political crisis following inconclusive elections last year, announced last Friday that his MDC party would boycott the coalition government until Mugabe implemented the power-sharing pact in full.
In a statement the EC urged SADC and the AU “to do all that they can to assist the different parties to the GPA to resolve their differences for the benefit of the Zimbabwean people”.
The SADC – that brokered Zimbabwe’s power-sharing agreement – is together with the AU a guarantor of the pact.
“In light of recent developments in Zimbabwe, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Karel De Gucht, has once again outlined the absolute necessity for all parties to implement the Global Political Agreement without further delay,” said the EC.
Gucht said the European economic bloc stands ready to make progress toward lifting targeted sanctions on Mugabe and his ZANU PF top brass but that such developments would be clearly linked to progress “on the ground” within Zimbabwe in dealing with the outstanding elements of the GPA.
