If you have been reading my blog you know its 90% about the ELECTION. Election this-election that. That is because the election is all that is being talked about with Zimbabwe right now because it is causing an enormous amount of problems in that country (no help for AIDS victims, no food aid, political violence, displacement). I am now used to reading dozens of articles about the election but the article I just read SHOCKED me. A spokesman for President Mugabe himself made a comment at an African Union Summit in Egypt about the other countries criticism of Zimbabwe’s disputed presidential run-off election and said
“THEY [Western Countries] CAN GO HANG A THOUSAND TIMES.” Slightly shocking? Can you picture someone that is representing President Bush giving that as their statement? I was in disbelief…
Mugabe want no help or AID from other countries and has actually banned AID from outside countries. The result of this is horrific for the people of Zimbabwe and effecting the countries around Zimbabwe. A quarter of the population in Zimbabwe are now in neighboring countries. Because the violence does not have a resolution in sight, there will be more and more people leaving the country and this is effecting the stability and peace in the surrounding states. Because of the ban on food aid, over half the country is not able to get food (which I will talk about in the next blog) and people are STARVING.
What is frustrating to me is that because Mugabe will not allow help, the U.S. cannot assist Zimbabwe because if they do, it would be forcefully assisting them. This would start a large conflict between the U.S. and Zimbabwe and something the United States is trying to avoid is a military style conflict where troops would be needed…
Anyways.. my question for anyone reading this is how do you help a country that refuses help and WILL USE VIOLENCE. What can be done?
