02 July 2007

Military Intervention in Zimbabwe

"Where a population is suffering serious harm, as a result of internal war, insurgency, repression or state failure, and the state in question is unwilling or unable to halt or avert it, the principle of non-intervention yields to the international responsibility to protect." [Article 1(B) of the Core Principles of the International Responsibility to Protect Doctrine, adopted at the United Nations 2005 World Summit]

According to the CIA World Factbook, Zimbabwe's death rate is four times greater than Iraq and 50% greater than Sudan — an incredible level of deaths, which are largely preventable. With inflation now running at 15,000% and the American Ambassador predicting it could hit 1,500,000% by the end of the year and with the failure of up to 95% of the crops, it is clear that Mugabe's Zanu PF regime either doesn't care about its people or is deliberately engaged in a course of conduct designed to subjugate an entire nation.

Zimbabwe's Roman Catholic ArchbishopLittle wonder that Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo, previously nominated for the Nobel peace prize for his work in Zimbabwe, yesterday called upon Britain to "raid Zimbabwe and remove Mugabe." Regrettably, given that Britain is already overstretched in Afghanistan and Iraq, his country will probably look in vain to Britain for its deliverance. Furthermore, given the UN's record in Sudan, it is unlikely that any call to invoke the International Responsibility to Protect would produce any result either. Will anybody help?

0 comments: