Cry beloved country

I made a fair number of visits to Zimbabwe in the 1990s in order to run computer training courses (I doubt that today they could afford the training courses let alone the computers which would require spending against hard currencies like the Outer Mongolian Tugrug) and I from my limited experience - I only visited Harare - I really enjoyed the place. But even then having an open discussion about what one person called "Uncle Bob" required a gentle walk in the open air. Information was limited (the fact that the Finance Minister had died of AIDS related meningitis was suppressed and when I showed my host a copy of the Economist where this was mentioned I received "So he DID die of AIDS") and although I could freely walk the streets I felt there was a state of tension (The roads outside the Presidents Palaces were closed overnight for example) throughout.

So the news today that the MDC has pulled out of the second election has saddened me but not surprised me. I totally understand why they did it: Mugabe would have terrorised, cheated his way to victory anyway - the odds on there being a free and fair election were roughly similar to me going to Mars tomorrow - and so by pulling out Morgan Tsvangira has at least saved some peoples lives (at least in the short term - I fear for the longer).

I think the time for saying "its Africa's problem - leave it to the Africans" has passed. It is the world's issue. I am NOT advocating sending 16 Air Assault Brigade in (for 2 reasons: one where the bloody hell are we going to get the troops from and (2) we have got a bloody nose elsewhere from doing just that) but intensive concerted pressure from the world community esp South Africa where Thabo Mbeki must stop his "quiet diplomacy" which Mugabe ignores, might (frankly SA is the only African country which probably counts I am afraid). The vomit inducng sight of Mugabe flying around the world, attending UN conferences (which he will again) at the same time as his thugs are attacking hs own people is just too much.