Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
01 July 2008
A summit of African leaders is encouraging Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe toform a government of national unity with opposition leader MorganTsvangirai. VOA's Peter Heinlein at the summit site at Sharm el-Sheikh,Egypt, reports a final summit statement takes no position on Zimbabwe'srunoff presidential election, which many western government have calleda sham.
A summit resolution approved after hours of sometimescontentious debate avoids many of the difficult questions arising fromZimbabwe's election. It does not endorse the results, and assesses noblame for the violence and intimidation that prompted observers andmany western governments to declare Robert Mugabe's inaugurationillegitimate.
The final resolution encourages Mr. Mugabe andMovement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai to enter adialogue, and support the idea of a Kenya-style government of nationalunity.
Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki toldreporters the resolution was adopted by consensus during a closed doormeeting. "There was a lengthy debate. Many views were put forward,including very critical views of the Zimbabwe ruling party and thepresident, and the president of Zimbabwe made a lengthy intervention inwhich he explained his position, his party's position and thedevelopments that took place in Zimbabwe in the past weeks and monthswhich led to the present situation," he said.
The resolution also encourages the Southern Africa Development Community, SADC, to continue its mediation efforts.
The resolution was far milder than what several countries had urged.
Diplomatsinside the closed meeting say the leaders of Botswana, Nigeria, Liberiaand Sierra Leone spoke in strong terms about the election's lack oflegitimacy.
Zimbabwe's neighbor Botswana argued that Zimbabwe and Mr. Mugabe should be barred from membership in the African Union and SADC.
Senegal and Uganda also favored strong action against Mr. Mugabe than the relatively neutral position taken in the resolution.
Thedebate underscored the deep divisions among Zimbabwe's neighbors overhow to respond to Mr. Mugabe's open challenge to democracy, Regionalpower South Africa has resisted any condemnation of Mr. Mugabe.
Earlierin the day, a spokesman for Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe rejected westerncriticism of the presidential election. spokesman George Charamba toldreporters the west has no right to judge the legitimacy of the electionthat returned Mr. Mugabe to power. "They can go and hang. They can goand hang, a thousand times. They've no claim on Zimbabwe at all, andthat's exactly the issue," he said.
When reporters asked if Mr.Mugabe would give up some power MDC leader Tsvangirai, Charambasuggested the Zimbabwean leader has no intention of yielding to foreigninfluence. "The way out is the way defined by the Zimbabwe people freefrom outside interference, and that is exactly what will resolve thematter," he said.
Zimbabwe's political turmoil, and Mr. Mugabe'spresence completely overshadowed the business of this Red Sea resortsummit. Discussions about meeting anti-poverty and development goalswent virtually ignored. Seats were empty at a news conference todiscuss the summit theme, providing Africa with clean water andsanitation.
An estimated 30 African heads of state and government attended the two-day gathering at this Red Sea resort.