In a scenario reminiscent of a Tom Clancy thriller, the situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate. Almost one full month has passed and there is still uncertainty about who will take control as president of Zimbabwe. One thing has become apparent, the ruling ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front) will do anything in their ability to stay in power.
A case in point is the arms support that were supposed to be delivered on the An Yue Jiang, a Chinese vessel. The boat was carrying several tons of weapons that were intended to be delivered to Zimbabwe last week, over the weekend of April 18. The stockpile of weapons includes mortars, RPGs and 3 Million rounds of ammunition.
In order to avoid legal trouble, the An Yue Jiang left South African Waters. Reports have indicated that the ship has also been denied entry to Mozambique and Tanzania.There were several unique developments that prevented the arms from being unloaded in South Africa. First of all, South African dock workers refused to unload the deadly cargo, and as a result of legal action that was initiated, the cargo was to be inspected by South African authorities. A German Bank also attempted to attach a lien to the arms in an attempt to settle a debt that has been unpaid by the Zimbabwean government.
So in order to avoid legal trouble, the An Yue Jiang left South African Waters. Reports have indicated that the ship has also been denied entry to Mozambique and Tanzaniu. After those failed attempts, the vessel took a step that has many people concerned. Sometime late Friday evening, the vessel turned off its transponder, blinding it radar and satellite tracking.
Amid the international outcry regarding the situation in Zimbabwe, the United States revealed that it will be taking its strongest action yet in the controversy. U.S. intelligence services have been ordered by President George W. Bush to track and locate the ship. U.S. Diplomats in Angola, Mozambique, South Africa and Namibia have also received instructions from the State Department not to allow the ship to dock at their ports.
Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Jendayi Frazier will be heading to the region in an attempt to end the election impasse as well.
These are the first major interventions by the United States in the Zimbabwe crisis. As the situation has declined, the most serious action taken by the U.S. has been the imposition of targeted sanctions against the Zimbabwe leadership and the cessation of military ties. Efforts to grant Zimbabwe TPS status (Temporary Protected Status) has not been successful, either. The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 is Law and provides U.S. assistance in receiving IMF, World Bank and loans from the U.S. in exchange for improvement in human rights.
U.S. intelligence services have been ordered by President George W. Bush to track and locate the ship. Frazier has experience in the region, as she was previously the U.S. ambassador to South Africa. The main goal of her trip to the region will is to build a consensus within the region to take a firm stand when it comes to the tragic turn of events in Zimbabwe. This is a sign that the Bush Administration is growing impatient with President Mugabe and the recent turn of events in the Southern African Country. Will these U.S. actions embolden the opposition? Will they encourage U.S. allies in the region to take action? Or will the moves create increased tensions between the U.S. and China or South Africa? Time will tell, but we should find out in the near future.
The author publishes Confused Eagle on the Internet. It can be found at morganrights.tripod.com
Comments
Zimbabwean Journalist commented, on April 23, 2008 at 4:06 p.m.:
Please proof your copy before posting. Poor copy impacts credibility.
Nathan Emery commented, on April 23, 2008 at 5:03 p.m.:
I would like to point out that while I commend the US government in taking this action, although it should be seen as multilateral and as a response to protect not intervene, the idea put forth in this article is that the US somehow has power through its diplomatic missions to deny the Chinese ship at sovereign ports. This is a ludicrous assumption and would only be carried out through coercion using US financial support or the withholding of it. Such a presentation of US power is arrogant and hegemonic and the reporter should check his or her facts more clearly.
Politics Editor commented, on April 23, 2008 at 5:03 p.m.:
Poor proofreading on my part, thanks for catching the error!
Mandla SA commented, on April 24, 2008 at 5:29 a.m.:
Austin, you're presentsing the US in a bad way. I think that you should have gotten facts first before writing this article. It reads like a book from the past that had no respect for anyone other than US habitats and I know they do not want to be viewed in such bad light... but then again, who knows?