Zimbabwe Talks Are One Step Away From Collapse

South African President Thabo Mbeki (R) is welcomed on arrival at Harare International airport by Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe August 9 2008. Mbeki, the region's Zimbabwe mediator, is in Harare and is due to take part in meetings aimed at resolving the crisis resulting from Mugabe's victory in a presidential election in June that was boycotted by the opposition and widely condemned abroad. Picture taken August 9. (Philimon Bulawayo - /Reuters)

Confusion Reigns In Zimbabwe Talks -- Yahoo News/AP

HARARE, Zimbabwe - A third day of talks over Zimbabwe's governance wound up on a conflicting note Tuesday amid reports that President Robert Mugabe and the leader of an opposition faction had reached a power-sharing agreement.

Shortly after the talks concluded, officials from Mugabe's party and the main opposition movement said the two sides had agreed on the plan, but a spokesman for the splinter group later denied the claim.

The reported agreement excludes Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the main Movement for Democratic Change. He won the first round of presidential elections in March but boycotted the runoff to protest widespread violence against opposition supporters.

Read more ....

More News On Zimbabwe

Mugabe clings to power after reaching coalition deal with breakaway MDC faction -- The Guardian
Reports of Side Deal in Zimbabwe -- New York Times
Mugabe clings on in pact with MDC faction -- Financial Times
Mugabe, MDC Breakaway Leader Sign Deal, Zanu-PF Says (Update1) -- Bloomberg
Zimbabweans Express Disappointment after Opposition Leader Walks Out of Peace Talks -- Voice Of America
Zimbabwe's MDC faction denies deal signed with Mugabe -- Reuters
Splinter group denies Zimbabwe deal -- The Age
FACTBOX: Zimbabwe: its people, land and economy -- Reuters

My Comment: A considerable amount of confusion is coming out from the news services .... and this is not a good sign. I am not surprise that Robert Mugabe and his friends are trying their best to keep power .... and also be positioned to enjoy the benefits that foreign aid and open borders will give to them if a political negotiated settlement is reached.

It is not going to happen. But in the interim we must go through this phase in believing that we are actually accomplishing something. Unfortunately, instability and suffering will be the end product of this charade.

Prairie Pundit sums it up best:

This deal condemns Zimbabwe to more misrule by the most inept leader in the history of governments. Mugabe's name will become a metaphor for governmental incompetence. It will also become a metaphor for despots. If Mbeki thinks this gets South Africa off the hook he is as goofy as Mugabe.

Zimbabwe: Robert Mugabe To Sign Power-Sharing Deal With Morgan Tsvangirai

Zimbabwean MDC opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai (C) leaves the Rainbow Towers hotel in Harare on August 11, 2008 after negotition talks on the Government of National unity. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe said Monday tough issues in power-sharing talks to end the country's protracted crisis "will be overcome" as a second day of negotiations with his rivals ended.(AFP/Desmond Kwande)

From the Telegraph:

Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe is expected to sign a power-sharing deal which will see his rival Morgan Tsvangirai become prime minister, a senior ruling party official said last night.

The official said Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party wants any unity government to last five years and has agreed to having the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change as prime minister, although his powers are still under discussion.

“We anticipate there could be a signing tomorrow, after the leaders have met to thrash out the remaining issues,” the official said last night.

The two sides have been in negotiations for more than two weeks, in an attempt to end the crisis caused by the presidential election.

Read more ....

More News On Zimbabwe

Pressure mounts for Zimbabwe deal -- BBC News
Mugabe, opposition under growing pressure for deal -- Reuters
Zimbabwe rivals set for make-or-break talks to end crisis -- AFP
Mugabe, Opposition Under Growing Pressure for Deal -- ABC News
Full coverage of the crisis in Zimbabwe -- The Guardian
Africa: Talks in Zimbabwe falter as Tsvangirai refuses to concede power to Mugabe -- The Guardian
Zimbabwe: Robert Mugabe issues warning to opposition -- The Telegraph

My Comment: I am very skeptical, and I do not believe in miracles ..... but South Africa wants this deal .... therefore I am still hopeful (at about1%).

Mugabe's Power Ploy In Zimbabwe

Mugabe Supporters In Zimbabwe

From the Guardian:

It is clear what Robert Mugabe wants to see from the talks with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) that began in South Africa on Thursday. On December 27 1987 he sat down with Joshua Nkomo, the leader of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu) and signed a unity accord. It followed seven years of sustained violence against Nkomo's party in which some 18,000 people died. The creation of a government of national unity made Nkomo vice-president. Three Zapu leaders were given cabinet posts. They might as well have been hamsters in a cage on Mugabe's desk.

Read more ....

More News On Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe talks continue -- USA Today
As Zimbabwe Talks Begin, Abductions Of Opposition Members Continue -- Voice Of America
Robert Mugabe forced into talks with opposition after China told him 'to behave' -- The Telegraph
Zimbabwe continue to stall over Kenya series -- Cricinfo
EU Supports Pretoria's Mediating Role in Zimbabwe -- Deutsche Welle
Mbeki lauded as Zimbabwe saviour at SAfrica-EU summit -- Channel News Asia
Bush adds to sanctions against Zimbabwe -- LA Times
Bush expands sanctions against Zimbabwe -- Yahoo News / AP
FACTBOX-Sanctions on Zimbabwe -- Reuters

My Comment: A quote from the movie "Lord Of War" .... "Evil Prevails when good men fail to act .... what they ought to say is evil prevails".

Zimbabwe is ruled by evil men .... and they are supported by a significant portion of Zimbabwe. All the diplomatic talks in the world will not change this country.

Zimbabwe Crisis Talks Begin In South Africa

The Zimbabwe president, Robert Mugabe, left, shakes the hand of Morgan Tsvangirai, the Movement for Democratic Change leader, at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two parties in Harare. Photograph: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP

From Yahoo News:

PRETORIA (AFP) - Talks began in earnest Thursday on resolving Zimbabwe's political crisis after President Robert Mugabe gave his senior lieutenants the final go-ahead to negotiate power-sharing with the opposition.

A spokesman for South African President Thabo Mbeki, the chief mediator between the two sides, confirmed the ruling ZANU-PF and opposition Movement for Democratic Change's top negotiators were now in place at a secret venue, two days after the initial scheduled start of their talks.

"Full-on talks are underway," Mukoni Ratshitanga told AFP, expressing confidence that they would lead to a swift conclusion even if not quite within an agreed two-week timeframe.

"We will finish in two weeks or just a bit after that," he added.

Read more ....

More News On Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe government runs out of cash -- The Telegraph
Soldiers await pay as Zimbabwe runs out of paper to print money -- Guardian
Army may go unpaid as sanctions dry up supply of paper for Zimbabwe banknotes -- Guardian
Zimbabwe's MDC, ruling party start full crisis talks -- Reuters South Africa
Zimbabwe power-sharing talks begin amid high hopes for deal -- The Guardian
Zimbabweans 'start crisis talks' -- BBC News
Zimbabwean peace talks begin amid talk that a deal is close -- Times Online
EU hits Zimbabwe with enhanced sanctions package -- Times Online

My Comment: The Zimbabwean government government no longer has the paper to print money to pay their soldiers and police force. This event was what probably broke the camel's back.

Will Mugabe and his cronies relinquish power .... I doubt it. Why the talks? The government can no longer pay its own enforcers. This is a last moment attempt to salvage assistance from foreign governments in providing aid.

Update: An Austrian company has jumped in to provide Zimbabwean bank notes. I am curious on who is guaranteeing payment.