Zim to overshadow UN-AU talks

2008-04-16 10:51

Gerard Aziakou

New York - The Zimbabwe crisis was set to overshadow Wednesday's high-level talks in the Security Council on closer security cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union.

Officially, the delayed results of Zimbabwe's March 29 presidential election were not on the agenda of the meeting, but Western diplomats and UN chief Ban Ki-moon had served notice that they would definitely focus on the issue despite the reluctance of the host, South Africa.

"We will raise the Zimbabwe issue," United States Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad said on Tuesday, describing it as "the most urgent issue" on the African continent.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown would also bring it up both in his remarks to the council as well as in bilateral meetings with President Thabo Mbeki and other leaders, diplomats said.

Ban 'to say something about crisis'

France, who was represented by its junior minister for human rights, Rama Yade, also intended to take up Zimbabwe, according to its ambassador to the UN Jean-Maurice Ripert.

Meanwhile, Ban told reporters on Tuesday that he would say something about the crisis in his remarks to the gathering hosted by South Africa, in its capacity as chair of the 15-member council this month.

"We need to see, first of all, very transparent and expeditious release of the election results, so that the Zimbabwean people will be able to enjoy the democratic process," Ban added.

South Africa was not keen to see the council take up Zimbabwe, arguing that this was a regional issue best handled by Zimbabwe's neighbours in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

On Sunday, SADC leaders wrapped up an emergency meeting in Zambia with a call on Harare to release the election results.

'There is no crisis in Zim'

Mbeki had come under fire for his stance towards Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, whom he met on Saturday in Harare while on his way to the SADC summit.

"There is no crisis in Zimbabwe," Mbeki said. "The body authorised to release the results is the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, let's wait for them to announce the results."

On Tuesday, Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai expressed shock and bewilderment at Mbeki's remarks.

Also attending Wednesday's meeting were the presidents of Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Somalia and Tanzania as well as the prime ministers of Italy, and Ethiopia.

Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone were sending their foreign ministers while China and Sudan were represented by special envoys.

The United States was represented by Khalilzad and US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer.

South Africa's UN ambassador Dumisani Kumalo said a resolution was to be adopted at the end of the meeting to strengthen UN-AU ties and welcome Ban's decision to appoint a high-level panel to weigh how the world body could better support AU peacekeeping efforts.

- AFP