'Put the screws on Mugabe'

2003-12-03 23:40

Australia - Australia on Wednesday urged African leaders attending a summit of Britain and its former colonies this week to pressure Robert Mugabe to resign as president of Zimbabwe, a member of the 54-nation grouping.

Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth's decision-making councils after alleged intimidation and vote-rigging in Mugabe's 2002 re-election.

Speaking ahead of his departure for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he wanted "strongly increased international pressure" on Mugabe to resign.

"I'm rather hopeful that at the Commonwealth conference, those leaders who are closer to him in Africa will understand the strength of world opinion and will bring pressure to bear on him to depart the scene," he told a Perth radio station.

Boycott threat by prime ministers

Howard lobbied leaders at the previous summit hosted by Australia in February 2002 for Zimbabwe to be suspended from the group if the March 2002 presidential elections were not declared fair by a Commonwealth observer group.

Mugabe, who was not invited to this week's summit, sought support from fellow African leaders to be allowed to attend.

Queen Elizabeth - who remains head of state of most of the Commonwealth countries - and the prime ministers of Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Pacific nations said they would boycott the meeting if Mugabe attended.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said last week Mugabe was welcome to visit his country, but would not be allowed to attend the December 5-8 summit.

Mugabe then indicated he might pull out of the Commonwealth, blaming "white" nations like Australia for excluding Zimbabwe.

Commonwealth secretary-general Don McKinnon and other member countries like Britain, Australia and New Zealand have repeatedly criticised Mugabe for human rights violations.

Under Mugabe's rule, the struggling southern African nation's economy is in free-fall.

Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer told parliament this week Zimbabwe's economy was expected to shrink by 13% this year.

Downer said inflation was 526% and expected to rise up to about 700%, half of the population was in need of food aid and there was insufficient foreign exchange to buy seed, fertilizer and spare parts.

- AP