Letter to Leaders of the African Union, Re: Zimbabwe

Letter

To: President Kikwete, Chairperson of the African Union
To: President Yar' Adua, Chairperson of the Peace and Security Council, AU
To: President Mwanawasa, Chairperson of the Southern African Development
Community
To: Dr Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission
Your Excellencies,

We are writing regarding the rapidly deteriorating political, humanitarian, and economic situation in Zimbabwe in the hope that you will use all influence and resources at your disposal to end the abuses being inflicted on the Zimbabwean people and help pave the way for a negotiated resolution of the current crisis.

We appreciate the statements made by various African leaders including government officials from Tanzania, Angola, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Botswana - condemning the Mugabe regime's systemic abuse of human and political rights --as well as the recent statement by the United Nations Security Council which called on the Zimbabwean government to allow opposition rallies and to free political prisoners. Nonetheless, serious violations have continued, and even intensified, as the scheduled date for run-off presidential elections approaches, however, making it clear that more forceful action is needed to save lives and salvage the immediate and medium-term future of this country.

Robert Mugabe has long insisted that he will refuse to cede power even if voters demand his replacement. When he lost to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)'s Morgan Tsvangirai in the March 29thelections, Mugabe's regime unleashed intimidation tactics to keep opposition supporters from voting in the run-off polls set for this Friday. This political violence has led to thousands of deaths and injuries, and forced many MDC-supporters from their homes. The safety of MDC officials- including Tsvangirai - and the party's followers remain under attack, even now that Tsvangirai has withdrawn from Friday's contest.

We agree with many of you who have called for Friday's run-off to be cancelled, or at least postponed, so that there can be a chance to establish a legitimate government in Zimbabwe via political negotiation. Until Mugabe and his government enter into power sharing talks in good faith, African leaders are the strongest defenders of the principles and priorities that form the basis of the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Specifically, Article 30 of the AU's Constitutive Act states that: "Governments which shall come to power through unconstitutional means shall not be allowed to participate in the activities of the Union" while Article 4 of the SADC treaty notes that "SADC and its Member States shall act in accordance with the following principles: sovereign equality of all Member States; solidarity, peace and security; human rights, democracy, and the rule of law; equity, balance and mutual benefit; and peaceful settlement of disputes." We believe that if Mugabe's government refuses to cede control of Zimbabwe without winning a credible election as required by that country's own constitution and ceases to act in accordance with the core principles of either organization, the AU and SADC should suspend Zimbabwe's membership.

Zimbabwe's neighbors are already suffering from the spillover of Zimbabwean political and economic refugees, and this exodus will only grow if the domestic situation continues to worsen. Our immediate concern is protecting innocent civilians whose lives are at risk from political violence, starvation, or lack of access to essential services. We encourage you - as heads of state and as regional leaders- to help restore and expand humanitarian assistance while deploying a protection force to prevent attacks, assist victims, and pursue perpetrators. Additionally, although we will work to ensure that the United States supports your efforts, the real leverage and legitimacy necessary to motivate, mediate, and oversee a political resolution to this crisis resides within the region. The urgency of the situation calls for immediate action to reject the brutal, dictatorial rule of Robert Mugabe in favor of a peaceful and democratic government. We stand by you in these efforts, and will do what we can to ensure that you succeed in rescuing Zimbabwe from its current political and humanitarian crisis. Thank you for your immediate attention and coordinated action on this very pressing issue.

Sincerely,

Russell D. Feingold
United States Senator

Richard G. Lugar
United States Senator

Benjamin L. Cardin
United States Senator

Patrick J. Leahy
United States Senator

Gordon H. Smith
United States Senator

Carl Levin
United States Senator

Norm Coleman
United States Senator

Bill Nelson
United States Senator

Sheldon Whitehouse
United States Senator

John Kerry
United States Senator

Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

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