Dave
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Dear friends,
The people of Zimbabwe cast a brave vote for change in March. Did President Mugabe accept their verdict? No, he declared he would rule until God removed him, murdered scores of his opponents and their families, shut out observers and prepared to steal back power in the run-off to be held this Thursday, 27th June.
Finally, this Sunday, the opposition withdrew from the run-off, calling the elections a "violent sham." Indeed, this isn't an election at all -- it's a one-sided war.
But against the odds, there is hope. Amidst growing international condemnation and pressure, Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and the opposition have entered private talks and legitimate government may be possible yet.
The United Nations Security Council unanimously held on Monday that free and fair elections are now impossible in Zimbabwe. The UN Secretary-General spoke out. But it is African leaders, most of all Thabo Mbeki, who hold the key. Even Mugabe cannot cling to power without their cooperation. Today, we're launching an emergency campaign, petitioning these leaders to call an immediate summit, isolate Mugabe, and broker a legitimate government for Zimbabwe. Our call will be published in big newspaper advertisements in South Africa, Tanzania, Angola, and Mozambique this week -- click here to see the ads and endorse their message:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save
Last week, 27 year old Abigail Chiroto, the wife of Harare's mayor Emmanuel Chiroto, was abducted with her 4-year-old son by men in uniforms and found brutally beaten to death. Reports abound of systematic and targeted torture, with scores of MDC activists and their families killed. Bodies have been found with their eyes gouged out and their lips and tongues cut off.
Last week Kofi Annan said to Mugabe, "The victor of an unfair vote must be under no illusions: he will neither have the legitimacy to govern, nor receive the support of the international community." Southern African leaders are already calling for the postponement of the election, but there's a real danger that they may not stand up to Mugabe's mockery.
So our campaign will publicly name those African leaders who hold Mugabe's last remaining lifeline -- key allies and neighbours, the states charged by the Southern African Development Community with overseeing this election and Tanzania, which will chair an African Union summit late this week. Robert Mugabe may have saved Zimbabwe from colonialism, but now it's time for African leaders to save Zimbabwe from him.
If we do nothing, Robert Mugabe could succeed in his de facto coup against the democratic process and solidify his deathgrip on a wavering ZANU-PF party and an imploding Zimbabwe, meeting little more than mild protests from his neighbours. His thugs will run riot, and chaos will spill over the borders destabilizing the whole region.
But if we act now, by stiffening the nerve of the neighbours who control Zimbabwe's borders and supply its electricity and goods, enough regime officials will accept the need for change and for Morgan Tsvangirai as leader of the next government.
If we can muster 250,000 voices this week, including a great roar from every country in Africa through a major ad campaign, we can make this happen. Please click here to see the ads and sign the petition, then forward this message to friends:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save
With hope and determination,
Ben, Alice, Paul, Graziela, Mark, Ricken, Iain, Veronique, Pascal, and Milena -- the Avaaz.org team
PS: For more information and sources for the facts above, see:
Thabo Mbeki and the emergency talks for a settlement:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk
United Nations Security Council declares free and fair elections "impossible":
http://www.reuters.com/article
Elections going ahead despite MDC pull-out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi
Mugabe: "Only God will remove me!"
http://www.thetimes.co.za
Regional leaders criticizing Mugabe:
Tanzania's Kikwete - http://allafrica.com/stories
Rwanda's Kagame - http://allafrica.com/stories
Kenya's Odinga - http://allafrica.com/stories
Uganada's Museveni - http://allafrica.com/stories
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