U.S. Sanctions

Finally the U.S. has jumped on the bandwagon, late once again. President Bush signed an executive order expanding sanctions against Mugabe's regime. It targets companies that are puppets of the Mugabe regime used to siphon off money.

CNN has reported that: "Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer told members of Congress last week that more than 100 people have been murdered, more than 3,000 have been injured by beatings or torture and more than 30,000 have been driven from their homes because of violence that broke out after the general election."

Hitting them financially is a good start. On to other good news, our president is finally doing some good things to end his presidency on a positive note. Here is what CNN is reporting:

"Bush said Friday the United States is ready to provide a "substantial assistance package, development aid and normalization with international financial institutions" should those talks result in a new government "that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people."
In the meantime, the president said he is authorizing the use of up to $2.5 million from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund to assist Zimbabwean refugees and those displaced by the violence. In addition, he said the United States will continue efforts to provide food and medical care to Zimbabweans."

CNN consistenly covers this situation better than almost anyone else. This aid is a first step in rebuilding the people of Zimbabwe. Now if we can just get working on that new constitution and a fair election....

2 Weeks of Hope

Mugabe and his band of.....of....I'm not even going there.....have finally agreed to talks about sharing power. President Mbeki from South Africa is moderating these talks and hopes to have some kind of conclusion within two weeks.

Two weeks? While this doesn't seem like a long time, but it is. There are bigger things to think about:

1. In two weeks, how many people will die in Zimbabwe?
2. How long will it take for any changes to take place? And how many will die during that time?
3. How will inflation be controlled in the time being?
4. Will humanitarian groups be given freedom to help in Zimbabwe?

One of the promising things about these talks is that there is talk of a new constitution. I would love to know what they are thinking...and what you are thinking that read this blog.

Here is the question: What should a new Zimbabwean constitution consist of?

Got Paper?

While scrolling through a Chicago Tribune paper yesterday, there was an interesting article about a cash crisis in Zimbabwe.

We all suffer a cash crisis at one time in our lives, but this is a whole different thing.

Fidelity Printers and Refiners, the state-owned entity that produces bank notes for Mugabe, ran into a major problem. The German company that supplies the paper was not happy with the government's choices in the recent weeks. It decided to not send them the paper as a way to protest the Mugabe regime.

Without the paper to print they cannot produce money. Inflation has caused bank notes to have denominations like 500 million dollars. Software is now going to be an issue also. The government must use the software to dream up new notes as old ones are worthless because of inflation. What is their software license is pulled because of the Mugabe regime.

Fidelity has propped the Mugabe regime by constantly printing new money. But no more. Those legs are about to fall off....

Sudan Genocide

In the Netherlands charges were filed against Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. He is charged with genocide of the Darfur tribe. (I think all of us are wondering why these charges took so long.) The prosecutor filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. Judges are expected to take months to study the evidence before deciding whether to order Al-Bashir's arrest.

Months to study....wow...that is going to save the 2.5 million that are being systematically slaughtered by al-Bashir.

Al-Bashir exploits have been well documented. I think this processes needs to be sped up in order to save the Darfur people.

I am not normally one for speeding up life (on the contrary I think the pace of our current world causes many of our problems, but that is a conversation for a later time). But in this case, time is of the essence.

Liberia Shows Rare Support for the West

As the Zimbabwe situation continues to be problematic, 2 rays of hope have arrived:

1. Mugabe and the opposition party are now meeting with South African leaders to hopefully start the process of getting aid back to those who truly suffer, the people not heading the political parties.

2. Most of the time, African countries have been leary of western involvement in African politics. But the President of Liberia has come out for the western sanctions:

"Meanwhile, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf backed sanctions against Zimbabwe's leadership, in rare African support for the Western-backed move."

It shows that even the African countries are seeing what Mugabe is doing is wrong and hurting the people he is supposed to protect.

I don't think putting the opposition party automatically in power is the right move either. I propose a two pronged plan:

1. First and foremost, get aid back to those who need it by allowing humanitarian groups to return to their work in Zimbabwe.
2. Rehold the recently held elections with a U.N. peacekeeping force overseeing the process.

Then people will stop dying and have the ability to vote. That is a good start for Zimbabwe. Then we can start thinking about the economy....

Hitting 'Em Where It Hurts...maybe

The U.N. has taken up the Zimbabwe situation. Unfortunately, it seems the U.N. tends to be more reactive than proactive.

Here is what was published in the story in USA today:

"The proposed U.N. sanctions include an international arms embargo and freeze on the personal assets of Mugabe and 11 other top government officials whom the U.S. believes played a key role in using violence to undermine Mugabe's opposition."

I have a tendency to think the freezing of the assets of Mugabe and the 11 other top government officials would be more effective on the surface. But given the inflation that exists in Zimbabwe (see my last post!), what exactly would this do if the 12 had their money in Zimbabwe currency?

If the 12 have their money in another currency, that tells us everything we need to know about them anyway...

4.1 billion dollars in 2 weeks: The New Rate of Inflation

Ah yes, Zimbabwe takes center stage in my brain. Again....
I got an email from a group working in Zimbabwe and some of the happenings are even more startling that what is being said in the news media.

· The salary level for teachers and principals cannot possibly keep track with inflation. Last month a principal received his salary. It was only enough to buy 4 bananas!! It is very understandable that the staff of schools are not present to teach the children.
· Cornelious was called in the night to take one of the caregivers to the hospital. When he arrived, he found there were no doctors present at this major hospital.
· Two weeks ago (the week we left South Africa for a 5 week trip to the States), the Zimbabwe dollar fell from 2 billion Zim dollars for 1 US dollar, to 6.1 billion Zim dollars for 1 US dollar. And that was within just one week!
· The March presidential election, and the following runoff election of June, has left the country with Mugabe sworn back in as president, but not recognized as legitimate by many of the world’s major leaders, including many in Africa. Some African figures have called for armed intervention. The nation continues in painful limbo.

6.1 billion dollars to 1 U.S. dollar. 4.1 million dollars in inflation in one week. It is understandable that four bananas is not enough to feed a family.

Other than removing Mugabe from power (which I support!), how can we help stabilize the economy and restore aid to Zimbabwe?