Mugabe 'risks war-crimes fate'
04/06/2007 21:07  - (SA)  

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London - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe risks the same fate as former Liberian President Charles Taylor, who is on trial for crimes against humanity, a British Foreign Office minister said on Monday.

Britain's Africa minister David Triesman said: "Robert Mugabe is at one of those points where dictators have to consider whether, if they press on, they don't fall into the category of committing crimes against humanity on the sort of scale that the law proscribes,".

"Charles Taylor presented quite a difficult target in the sense of coming to trial, (but) no impunity is a baseline we shouldn't cross.

"Those who commit terrible crimes will come to trial and be convicted and go to prison," he told reporters.

Mugabe's policies under scrutiny

Taylor is the first ousted African president to stand trial at a United Nations-backed court for war crimes and prosecutors hope the case against him for involvement in murder, rape and mutilation will send a message that nobody can escape punishment.

Zimbabwe's escalating political and economic crisis has refocused international attention on Mugabe's policies.

He stands accused of a brutal crackdown against opposition politicians as well as economic policies which have led to hyperinflation, soaring poverty and chronic shortages of food, fuel and foreign currency.

Mugabe blames the west, led by Britain, for sanctions and diplomatic isolation he says were meant to punish Zimbabwe for his policy of turning over white-owned farms to landless blacks.

Triesman said Mugabe had to consider "whether the changes in policy can be achieved that remove the possibility I think he must face now that these are very serious crimes".

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said last week during an Africa tour that he fully supported South Africa's efforts to mediate in Zimbabwe's escalating political crisis and that a solution to the stand-off must come from within Africa.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has delegated President Thabo Mbeki to mediate, although there has been little public sign of progress and Mbeki has faced criticism in the past of being too cautious.

Triesman said Blair and Mbeki had a private discussion at which he thought the prime minister would have expressed his hopes for progress.

'Bad news in anybody's book'

Triesman said: "It is imperative that the SADC/Mbeki mission succeeds and I have no doubt that Tony Blair will have said he profoundly hopes that is the case.

"Doctors have gone on strike, the army has ceased to be paid, the police are leaving in large numbers - are they leaving with their weapons?

"Another failed state with a lot of people with guns is bad news in anybody's book."

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