Split claims rejected

2003-11-30 18:19

London - Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon denied on Sunday that the issue of Zimbabwe was threatening to open up a chasm between the so-called "white Commonwealth" and African members this week.

"I have talked with pretty well all the African leaders on this issue," he said.

"They all are very sympathetic to what has to be done, but there is really quite a very wide variety of views on how it should be done.

"So you can't split Africa from the rest, although some would wish to do that. I think there's probably about four different views in Africa on the way forward (on Zimbabwe)," the former New Zealand foreign minister told Sky News.

President Robert Mugabe has not been invited to a Commonwealth summit this week in Nigeria, which will play host to 52 world leaders and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.

Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth councils in March last year following a presidential election which many outside observers said was marred by ballot-rigging and intimidation.

Since then, leading Commonwealth members have disagreed sharply over the issue, with Nigeria and South Africa seeking to encourage reforms by inviting Zimbabwe back into the fold and Australia urging its full expulsion.

Against this backdrop, the Commonwealth has been "shut out" of Zimbabwe, said McKinnon.

"We tried to send a ministerial mission. I tried to send special envoys. But it was pretty clear that Zimbabwe was on a course that they just didn't want the Commonwealth to be involved at all," he said.

Asked what the Commonwealth's greatest achievement was since its last summit two years ago, McKinnon said: "I would point to the fact that we have lifted our game in the governance area.

"We have succeeded in probably eight or nine countries, but we haven't succeeded in Zimbabwe.

"We've got people working in countries ... all about helping democracy, help build democratic institutions and defend those democratic institutions. But sometimes a big one comes along that is just beyond us to manage on our own."

Also not on the guest list for the Abuja summit is Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a coup and toppled prime minister Nawaz Sharif's elected government in October 1999.

But Pakistan is expected to soon rejoin the group following elections last year and planned constitutional reforms.

- AFP