The Boston Globe
Published: January 23, 2009
Life expectancy in Zimbabwe under President Robert Mugabe fell from 62 years in 1990 to 36 in 2006. And, as described in a recent report by Physicians for Human Rights, this man-made catastrophe has only gotten worse in the last two years. To end their agony, Zimbabweans need new leadership.
Although the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai lamented a deadlock Monday in power-sharing talks with Mugabe, a peaceful transfer of power is still the best hope for Zimbabwe's rehabilitation. But even if Mugabe cedes power after 28 years, the international community will still confront a haunting question: How can Mugabe and his henchmen be held accountable for the catastrophe they created?
This question is broached in a preface to the report signed by Desmond Tutu, South Africa's retired archbishop; Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Richard Goldstone, former UN chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. They cite "growing evidence that Robert Mugabe and his regime may well be guilty of crimes against humanity." And they call for urgent intervention by Zimbabwe's neighbors and all UN member states to prevent more deaths.
Physicians for Human Rights sent a delegation to Zimbabwe last month. The team found that the Mugabe regime destroyed the country's healthcare system and pursued policies that ruined what had been a vibrant agriculture, depriving all but a tiny elite of proper nutrition, water, and a sustainable livelihood. One result has been a cholera epidemic and the spread of other diseases.
The rights group is calling for the UN to pass a resolution instructing the International Criminal Court in the Hague to investigate Mugabe and his cronies. The group argues that Mugabe's depredations meet the requirements for an ICC prosecution for crimes against humanity.
Mugabe should face trial for crimes against humanityFirst steps at GuantánamoThe need for judgment is the same as it has always been: to prevent the next despotic regime from doing to another people what Mugabe has done in Zimbabwe. At present, comparable crimes are being committed by the military junta in Burma and the genocidal regime in Sudan. The best hope to save lives in the killing fields of Darfur or the forests and rice paddies of Burma may be to make an example of Mugabe.
6 comments:
I wish someone would just kill Mugabe already. I mean, has no one heard of the word 'assassination?' His existence is just causing progressively more problems for Zimbabwe....plus, they have a more resonable leader in the wings, (Tsvangirai. Maybe he will make the country at least look more like a procedural democracy rather than an electoral authoritarian form of government.
Just assassinating Mugabe would not get rid of this problem. If he was murdered, then the different groups vying for power will just fight each other and kill more people. But if he is tried for crimes against humanity, his close followers will be too, and then they would not be able to take over control of Zimbabwe. After he was charged with crimes against humanity, Zimbabwe could have a real leader.
I agree with Inigo Montoya. If you just kill the man, then more violence would occur. If he is assassinated, then people that looked up to him and thought he was great would try to take over power and continue the crimes that he had been committing. Charge the man, try him legally, and once he is sentenced get a new more fair leader in place.
There is alot of chaos in Africa. Many countries are dictatorships,which don't care about civil liberties. As long as there are dictators, there will be violations against humanity.
His party would just blame the assassination on the west. I suggest making him "disappear".
I don't think Mugabe should be killed either but I do think he should be punished. Not only will his close followers be punished as well but it will make a statement to the people. Maybe the fear of getting in trouble or seeing their leader face consequences will prove that his actions are wrong and shouldn't be repeated.
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