Zimbabwe Is a Closed Chapter South Africa Tells United Nations, to Inform SADC

A South African government handout photo shows the-then Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairman, South African President Jacob Zuma (L), hugging Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on June 20, 2009 in Johannesburg., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Zimbabwe, a closed chapter. . . South Africa tells UN, to inform Sadc

August 14, 2013
Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe Herald

SOUTH AFRICA has told the United Nations that Zimbabwe is neither an issue for discussion within Sadc nor at the United Nations in the wake of the widely endorsed harmonised elections, with President Jacob Zuma set to inform the 33rd Ordinary Sadc Summit that convenes in Lilongwe, Malawi, over the weekend that his job in Zimbabwe was done.

Cde Zuma was appointed facilitator to the Global Political Agreement in September 2008, taking over from Cde Thabo Mbeki whom he also succeeded at Union Buildings, the seat of the SA government.

South African International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane told UN General Assembly President Mr Vuk Jeremic during a meeting in Pretoria on Monday that South Africa had already endorsed the harmonised elections and congratulated President Mugabe on his re-election.

“There is absolutely nothing new to discuss on Zimbabwe. The parties that did not win the elections have approached the highest court in Zimbabwe.

“We will all wait for the outcome of the court process. All the observer missions have said the elections were peaceful and free. We have already made our own national statement on the elections in Zimbabwe,’’ Ms Nkoana-Mashabane said in response to Mr Jeremic’s request for an update on the situation in Zimbabwe.

Ms Nkoana-Mashabane’s comments follow an announcement by the South African presidency that Cde Zuma would inform Sadc that his job as mediator in Zimbabwe was done.

City Press on Monday quoted an unnamed official in the SA Presidency as saying President Zuma’s role was over and he would officially inform Sadc leaders in Lilongwe.

“As far as South Africa is concerned, we have ended mediation in Zimbabwe,” said the source.

The source said the final Sadc report would also uphold the credibility of the elections that he said were free and peaceful.

“The summit’s final report will say something to the effect that all parties must give internal processes a chance to run their recourse.

“No external audit of the results will be accepted by Sadc,” the source said in apparent reference to MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s call for an audit of the results, a call echoed by the US, Britain, its dominion Australia and client state Botswana who are all ranged against the UN, AU, Sadc, Comesa, ACP, 22 AU member-states, among them 11 drawn from Sadc; eight Asian states, five Middle Eastern countries, two European states, and five South American countries have all endorsed the harmonised elections.

This has put MDC-T and its Western conceivers and funders on one side and Zimbabwe and the progressive world on another side, mirroring the contestation in Zimbabwe over the past 13 years.

President Mugabe romped to victory, garnering 61,09 percent of the votes cast to Mr Tsvangirai’s 33,94 percent with three other contestants — Professor Welshman Ncube (MDC), Dr Dumiso Dabengwa (Zapu) and Mr Kisinoti Mukwazhe (ZDP) — sharing the remaining 4,97 percent.

Zanu-PF also swept 160 seats out of the 210 National Assembly constituencies to MDC-T’s 49 with the remaining seat going to independent candidate Mr Jonathan Samukange who pitched for but failed to land the Zanu-PF ticket in Mudzi South.

Political analyst and Zanu-PF Politburo member Professor Jonathan Moyo said South Africa was just re-stating the obvious.

“They (South Africans) are stating the obvious. It is the true position that must be respected by all countries and all parties.

“That is the actual position that the whole process of mediation and engagement was going to end in the holding of elections.

“We have not only held elections which have been convincingly won by Zanu-PF, but these elections have been judged as credible by all credible organisations.

“The occasion was not just momentous, but historic. Zimbabweans have spoken in large numbers and reclaimed and reasserted their independence.”

The elections, he said, had buried the GPA and were not disputed.

“This is not a disputed election.

“The numbers are overwhelming and one has to be an extreme malcontent to describe the elections as disputed.”

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ZANU-PF Win Decisive, Says UK Guardian Newspaper

President Mugabe greets sungura artiste Alick Macheso after his performance at the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day cele­brations at the National Sports Stadium in Harare while Vice Presidents Joice Mujuru (right), John Nkomo (left) look on., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Zanu-PF win decisive, incontestible: UK paper

August 14, 2013
Hebert Zharare Political Editor
Zimbabwe Herald

PRESIDENT Mugabe and Zanu-PF decisively won the harmonised elections, obviating the need for any challenge legal or otherwise, the British establishment paper The Guardian has said.The Electoral Court is today set to hear MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s application seeking election material to support his application at the Constitutional Court seeking nullification of the results of the harmonised elections.

The Guardian, which over the past year consistently tipped Zanu-PF to win the elections, along with the Telegraph, ran news analyses on Election Day tipping Zanu-PF to romp to victory over MDC-T.

In an article headlined “How an exultant Robert Mugabe took on the world and won Zimbabwe” written by Richard Dowden, The Guardian said the margin of Zanu-PF’s victory negated any contestation.

“Yes everyone assumed the MDC would win and so became complacent. And had the result been a 51percent — 49 percent split, there might have been a case to challenge it. But a 61percent — 33 percent victory is decisive. Zanu-PF also won 150 (161 seats) of the 210 parliamentary seats, a two-thirds majority which allows it to change the Constitution and amend laws,” reads the report.

The paper attributed MDC-T’s dismal performance to party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s lack of leadership skills to draw Zimbabweans together into a vision of a new Zimbabwe and political and managerial skills to make it happen.

President Mugabe, the paper said, had managed to rally all Zimbabweans behind him while Mr Tsvangirai failed to advocate the change he was preaching.

The paper further asserts that many people voted for President Mugabe because he is a well respected and principled leader.

President Mugabe, The Guardian argued, was not under pressure to co-opt losers into his Government, but could do it out of his benevolence.

“I also suspect (President) Mugabe will now go into reconciliation mode as he did after his first (also unpredicted) election victory of 1980. Now he will deploy his considerable charm and hold out a hand to African and Western governments that have criticised him in the past.

"At home he may offer posts in Government to MDC leaders, maybe even to (Mr) Tsvangirai himself.”

Over the past week, the British media have sounded the death knell for the embattled MDC-T leader, urging him to resign as he has failed as a politician.

This comes in the wake of the MDC-T leader’s third but most devastating defeat by President Mugabe.

The Telegraph, one of the largest circulating papers in the United Kingdom and a strong supporter of the MDC-T, said Mr Tsvangirai’s short stint in Government had exposed his immeasurable shortcomings as a leader while the BBC said the MDC-T leader now stared political oblivion.

MDC-T’s local media sympathiser, The Daily News, also weighed in by urging Zimbabweans to move on.

Political analyst and Midlands State University lecturer Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri said the British lost faith in Mr Tsvangirai’s leadership long back and that their media comments were testimony to that effect.

“The truth is they are now re-strategising their new British- Zimbabwe relations that will go beyond the MDC-T. They may have found it wise to go with Zanu-PF now. Stability will pay in terms of their investments in Zimbabwe as well as exploiting other resources,” he said.

Dr Mhiripiri said the fact that British papers were dissuading the MDC-T from pursuing court actions means they have realised that the events leading to and after polls were pointing to stability in Zimbabwe.

“Stability matters much more than the so-called democracy. Look at the Egypt type of democracy, it has become a handicap to politics and business,” he said.

Another political analyst, Mr Gabriel Chaibva, said the vitriol from the British papers was clear testimony that their Government was no longer interested in Mr Tsvangirai as an agent of regime change in Zimbabwe.

“What is clear is that Mr Tsvangirai is finished politically. He is now history and the British are so clever to see that and that is the reason why they are saying do not go to court you are wasting our time.

“There is full realisation that he cannot change anything by going to court. Even if he is given the spoiled ballots and the people who were turned away, he will still lose to President Mugabe.

“The British have seen that he is displaying his stupidity. He just wants to continue milking the British money and they have realised that. If the truth is to be said, Mr Tsvangirai would be history now if he was a British or an American politician. All his sex scandals would have buried him a long time ago. The man is morally bankrupt. His application is just academic and a hypothetical exercise,” he said.

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West Seeks to Weaken Zimbabwe Defense

President Mugabe congratulates Major Julian Chaneka while Colonel Zvanyadza Machinjili and Sergeant Dube Chimusasa look on during the 33rd Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

West Seeks to Weaken Zimbabwe Defenses

Takunda Maodza Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe Herald

MDC-T’s calls for security sector reforms are a ploy by the West to dilute the efficiency of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, President Mugabe has said.

The British government has been trying to protect its interests in Zimbabwe through military action since independence in 1980.This was revealed in a letter that until recently was classified as Top Secret that was written to the then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher by the head of the defence forces under the Ian Smith regime, General Peter Walls, asking for permission to stage a coup in Rhodesia when it became clear that President Mugabe was heading for a resounding victory.

In 2007, British media revealed that then premier Tony Blair discussed military intervention in Zimbabwe with General Sir Charles Guthrie, who served as chief of the defence staff between 1997 and 2001 but was advised against the folly of pitting British soldiers against the tried and tested veterans of the Congo campaign, the ZDF.

In his address on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day at the National Sports Stadium in Harare yesterday, the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, President Mugabe, applauded the ZDF for their resolute defence of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said it was surprising that some misguided elements within and outside the country were clamouring for security sector reforms.

“It is therefore surprising that some misguided fellow countrymen, at the behest of their Western allies, blatantly disregard the good work done by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces in maintaining peace and tranquillity in the country.

“They disguise this by demanding what they call ‘security sector reform’ when it is obvious the enemy’s real ploy is to dilute the efficiency of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

“These celebrations are thus an appeal to all peace-loving Zimbabweans to resist the enemy’s strategy. It is imperative for us always to work hand-in-glove with our defence forces, more so given the renewed neo-colonial advances by our erstwhile colonisers.” The President saluted the ZDF for its resolute dedication to the country.

“It is a great honour for me to join the pomp and fanfare that are today’s part of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ 33rd anniversary celebrations. Indeed, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces have every reason to celebrate in style considering the fact that Zimbabwe has been one of the most peaceful nations in the region and on the African continent since our attainment of independence in 1980.

“Such peace was not just natural but a product of the professional ability of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to undertake their constitutional mandate of safeguarding the country’s territorial integrity over its land and air space.”

This year’s celebrations were held under the theme “Zimbabwe Defence Forces in Defence of National Sovereignty, Social and Economic Development”.

President Mugabe said the theme was more relevant now that the country was on a crucial path of consolidating the gains of its hard-won independence through the total economic emancipation.

“In spite of the demonisation that we have endured over the past 13 years under the West’s regime change agenda in conjunction with their local allies, they have failed to frustrate our noble efforts and determination to consolidate our economic independence through the total control of our natural resources. The indigenisation and empowerment drive will continue unabated in order to ensure that indigenous Zimbabweans enjoy a larger share of the country’s resources,” he said.

President Mugabe, emerging from a resounding victory in the just-ended harmonised elections, said his Government would do everything in its power to ensure the total economic emancipation of indigenous people.

He said indigenisation and economic empowerment were not peculiar to Zimbabwe as they had been successfully implemented in other countries.

“Surprisingly though, it has not drawn the hype and demonisation that it has done in this country. Our position as the Zimbabwean Government is to pursue this beneficial policy to its successful conclusion.

I am happy to note that the Zimbabwe Defence Forces have remained vigilant and resolute in defence of the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests that include our natural resources,” President Mugabe said.

He added: “This is our final phase of implementing the ideals of the liberation struggle, which started with the attainment of political independence in 1980, which was followed by the indigenisation of the land that was largely owned by the minority settler white community for nearly a century. May I therefore extend to all Zimbabweans, my hearty congratulations for voting peacefully and showing our foreign detractors that our destiny lies in our hands.

May I also thank you most sincerely for bringing to an end the unproductive Inclusive Government and for restoring your confidence in the Zanu-PF Government.”

President Mugabe pledged to address the conditions of service for the ZDF whose salaries are still below the Poverty Datum Line. He also pledged to address accommodation and other challenges facing the force.

The First Family, senior Government officials, outgoing deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara and Chief of the Namibian Defence Forces Lieutenant General Ndaitwah, were among the thousands that thronged the National Sports Stadium for the annual celebrations.

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Djibouti Promises More Military Aid to Occupied Somalia

First contingent of Djibouti troops enter Somalia in a US-backed effort to liquidate the al-Shabaab Islamic resistance movement in the Horn of Africa state. The Pentagon and France have a military base in Djibouti at Camp Lemonier., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Government of Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

Djibouti Promises to Give More Military Support to Somalia

12 AUGUST 2013

Djibouti's Minister of Defence, Hassan Darar Houffaneh, said on Friday (August 9) that Djibouti intends to increase military aid to Somalia.

The Minister was on a visit to Belet Weyne to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with the Djiboutian contingent of the AMISOM which is based in Belet Weyne, the capital of Hiiraan region.

He said Djibouti planned to provide further support to the Somali government with military facilities and training.

Besides their peacekeeping mission, the AMISOM troops from Djibouti have been helping locals to rebuild the region, as well as carrying out training of Somali forces.

During his visit, the Djibouti Minister of Defence also met Somali soldiers who were concluding their training and said they would receive weapons, uniforms and 10 military vehicles soon.

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United States Appoints New Envoy to Somalia

United States diplomat James P. McAnulty was appointed as the new envoy to Somalia. The U.S. is financing a war against this Horn of Africa state., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 at 05:36 pm

SOMALIA: New Special Representative for Somalia, James P. McAnulty, Takes up Duties

James P. McAnulty takes up duties as Special Representative for Somalia, the United States’ senior policy official on Somalia, starting August 14.

Mr. McAnulty entered the U.S. Foreign Service in October 1983. He has served at U.S. Embassies in Caracas, Venezuela; Mexico City, Mexico (two separate assignments); Nassau, The Bahamas; San Jose, Costa Rica; Nairobi, Kenya; Brussels, Belgium (at the U.S. Mission to the European Union); and, most recently, Abuja, Nigeria, where he served as Counselor for Political Affairs, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, and Deputy Chief of Mission. He also worked at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on issues involving bilateral relations with Mexico in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and involving arms control issues in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

Mr. McAnulty received the State Department’s Warren Christopher Award for Outstanding Performance in Global Affairs in 2002 for his work on behalf of refugees as the Regional Refugee Coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. He also earned three Senior Foreign Service Performance Pay Awards for his achievements as the Narcotics Affairs Section Director in Mexico City and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Abuja. Mr. McAnulty, who holds the rank of Minister-Counselor, has also received four Superior Honor Awards, including most recently in May 2012, and a Meritorious Honor Award.

Before entering the U.S. Foreign Service, Mr. McAnulty earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a regular commission at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1977. He served as a U.S. Air Force Officer at assignments in San Angelo, Texas; Berlin, Germany; the Republic of Korea; and Arlington, Virginia.

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British Oil Company Jumps Into War-Torn Somalia

Poster held symbolizing the imperialist-backed conference in London to chart the future of the Horn of Africa nation of Somalia. The state has been a U.S. neo-colony under the current AMISOM and CIA occupation., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

British Oil Company Jumps Into War-Torn Somalia, Securing Access Ahead Of The Competition

By IBTimes Staff Reporter
on August 13 2013 12:20 PM

Is it too soon for the war-torn country of Somalia -- which only recently instated a president and parliament after two decades of division and bloodshed -- to enter into major deals with foreign oil companies? One newly incorporated British company doesn't think so.

Soma Oil & Gas Exploration Ltd. was founded in the United Kingdom just this year; it's chairman is Michael Howard, a former leader of the Conservative Party. CEO Robert Sheppard has experience an adviser for the U.K. oil company BP PLC (LON:BP) in Russia.

Soma has become the first company to forge an agreement with Somalia's young government, according to an Aug. 6 statement from the company.

"Under the terms of the agreement, Soma Oil & Gas will conduct seismic surveying in Somalia’s territorial waters in areas agreed with the government and in certain limited onshore areas. The company will also collate and reprocess historic seismic data using modern techniques, and prepare an evaluation of Somalia’s petroleum potential."

In exchange for providing seismic mapping data to the Somali government, Soma will be granted the right to apply for up to 12 offshore oil blocks of its choice.

That's too bad for other major oil companies, including France's Total SA (EPA:FP) and Royal Dutch Shell PLC (LON:RDSA), which chose their own blocks for exploration before 1991 but have since been forced by circumstance to leave them alone. Soma promises not to horn in on their space, the Financial Times reports. But that doesn't ease the concerns of some development experts who worry that prospecting for oil in a still-unstable country will only complicate things for everyone involved.

Since 1991, when former President Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in a coup, Somalia has been one of the world's most unstable countries. Warring clans were constantly at odds over land and resources.

Poverty and famine made life miserable for millions of people. Pirates patrolled the water and militant groups -- most notably al-Shabab, which is linked to al Qaeda -- staked their claims on land.

Many attempts to form a national government came and went during those two decades, but in September 2012 a formal parliament was selected and a president -- the academic Hassan Sheikh Mohamud -- was appointed to lead the country. The problems that have plagued Somalia for so long are far from over, but the implementation of an internationally recognized federal administration has been hailed as a milestone for the country.

For Soma, that's reason enough to dive right into what may be one of the world's most lucrative underexplored areas. "According to oil industry experts, [Somalia] has some of the largest prospective resources within East Africa, an area of already great industry interest," the company said in a statement.

Somalia, however, has yet to work out the political and logistical details of its involvement with foreign companies.

Currently, there are disputes as to how much control regional governments such as the semiautonomous zones of Puntland and Somaliland wield over their own territorial resources.

Furthermore, experts -- including a UN panel this year -- worry that at this early stage in Somalia's development, international interference in the oil industry will only inflame tensions between the countries myriad different clans, communities or militias. Considering the fragile state of Somalia's nascent government, those concerns shouldn't be taken lightly.

Then again, Somalia is desperate for revenues and may continue to pursue oil deals -- with Soma and other oil companies -- despite the risks involved. The state-owned Somalia Petroleum Corp. hopes to sign more than two dozen contracts for oil and gas production by the end of this year, Bloomberg reports.

Soma is certainly a pioneer in this arena, though the effects of its presence remain to be seen. Sheppard, for one, is optimistic.

“We formed Soma Oil & Gas having identified an opportunity to conduct exploration in Somalia as it emerges from a lengthy period of civil conflict," he said.

"Despite large recent discoveries in East Africa, Somalia remains a significantly underexplored region. We believe that this agreement to assist the government and the work that is due to be carried out over the next 12-18 months will provide significant momentum for the oil and gas sector in Somalia.”

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British Bank Faces Backlash For Cutting Money Transfer Services to Somalia

Somalian-Americans line up to transfer money to their families still living inside the Horn of Africa nation. The US government has targeted Somalians for harrassment., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

British bank faces backlash for cutting money transfer service to Somalia

Barclays bank says it doesn't want to enable money laundering, but critics say it is cutting vital flows of money into the country.

By Tom Murphy, Guest blogger / August 13, 2013
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

Somalis are bracing for the impact of the British bank Barclay’s decision to sever ties with most money transfer companies in Somalia. About 250 remittance agencies lost their partnership with Barclays on Monday.

The banking giant says it is concerned that it does not know where money transfers are going and who is sending the money. With little ability to track cash flows, the company says it is much easier for money launderers and the financing of terrorist activities.

“It is recognized that some money service businesses don’t have the proper checks in place to spot criminal activity and could unwittingly be facilitating money laundering and terrorist financing,” said Barclays spokesperson Daniel Hunger to the UN humanitarian news agency IRIN.

Somalis living in and out of Somalia say that the plan will cut vital flows of money.

More money is sent to people in Somalia through remittances ($1.2 billion) than is provided in international aid (~$800 million). The sum of remittances accounts for roughly half of Somalia’s gross national income (GNI). Money set by family members living abroad helps to support the education of siblings or a parent’s business. Various vendors have proliferated across Somalia as a result of the amount of money flowing both in and out of the country through person to person transfers.

It is not only people who benefit. NGOs and civil society organizations use cash transfer services to process cash disbursements and budgetary funds. For instance, British-Somali Olympic gold medal winner Mo Farah issued a call for Barclays to reverse its decision, citing the impact it will have on Somalis and charities like his charity.

“The Mo Farah Foundation, along with some of the world’s biggest charities and organizations, including the UN, relies on these businesses to channel funds and pay local staff,” he said in late July. “This decision could mean life or death to millions of Somalis.”

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud pleaded with Barclays in June not to go though with the decision. He expressed concerns that the progress made by Somalia over the past few years may be set back.

“Somalia is on the brink of a breakthrough after two decades of chaos. We have the support of Britain and the world and we need the support of all our friends across all sectors. Barclays are a friend and we cannot understand their sudden decision to foreclose on legitimate accounts that support money transfer,” said Mr. Mohamud.

British politicians also urged Barclays to consider delaying the implementation of its new policy. Forty-Seven Labour ministers of parliament sent a letter to Barclays and the government to consider waiting six months.

They recognize that the decision by the United States to fine the bank HSBC $1.9 billion for its weak money laundering checks has an impact on Barclays. They say that the reaction is too harsh and will also damage the British businesses that participate in the sending and receiving of money with Somalia.

Electronic money transfers are the most efficient way to send money home, writes Somali Nadifa Mohamed in the Guardian. She says her father used to have to deliver the money he made by hand to his family in Somaliland. Now Ms. Mohamed can send money almost instantly to her family who are still do not have easy access to paved roads.

Her family is not alone – an estimated 40 percent of people in the region are reliant on remittances. She says it may be a conservative guess, nevertheless it means major cuts will have an immediate impact on regional families. And there are the 80 percent of Somali businesses that use remittances for starting up funds, said Mohamed Ali, who runs the Somali NGO Iftiin Foundation, to Al Jazeera.

Electronic cash transfers are a major technological jump in Africa. Kenya’s MPESA, a service run by phone company Safaricom, allows people to send money from one cell phone to another. It can be used to make a purchase at a street-side business

Many recognize that Barclays is concerned about funding terrorist networks in Somalia. They say that should not scare the bank away, as it has for other major transfer providers. Rather, leaders should look for regulatory solutions, Mr. Ali writes.

The regulatory burden for monitoring Hawalas (the traditional money transfer system) should be placed on the government and not banks, with clear guidelines that limit bank obligations and government officials in charge of due diligence and risk evaluation of remittance agencies. Banks, regulators and Hawala operators also need to work together to develop due diligence and monitoring strategies that work within the Hawala framework, which has its own system of checks.

185 Somali civil society groups add to the list of advocates for a change to Barclays’ pending policy change. The UK government has responded to the growing chorus by saying that it is a private decision by the bank. The changes are still on course to be enacted.

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