Zimbabwe Accord Talks Progressing

By Cernig

Notice how quickly the Neo-whatevers shut up about "humanitarian intervention" in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe's opposition MDC and President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF will begin negotiations on a power-sharing deal in earnest tomorrow, officials said.

The rivals opened preliminary talks yesterday, South African President Thabo Mbeki's spokesman said, but he declined to say what was discussed.

"I won't talk about what it is. I will say talks resumed, and talks are continuing," Mukoni Ratshitanga said. "They have started more or less. (They will be) in earnest tomorrow."

Mbeki, mediating in the crisis, secured a framework deal between Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Monday for talks to end the deadlock since Mugabe's re-election on June 27 in a poll boycotted by the opposition because of violence.

Pressure for power-sharing has come from regional states concerned by the political and economic crisis that has forced millions of refugees to flee to Zimbabwe's neighbours.

Happily, another hoped-for reason to rehabilitate the notion of invasion on humanitarian grounds bites the dust.

Comments

[anderson]

I doubt we'll hear anything about it, but it would not surprise me at all if the Russians or Chinese were in the background greasing this agreement. The warning should have been obvious to Mugabe: come to an agreement or you could see a US intervention aimed at removing you completely.