Mugabe ouster could spark civil war

Mugabe ouster could spark civil war - Chissano warns

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By Christopher Thompson and Charles Mangwiro

FORCING President Robert Mugabe out of power could compound Zimbabwe's political crisis and even lead to civil war, Mozambique's respected former president Joaquim Chissano said on Monday.

In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Chissano took issue with what he called a Western obsession with term limits for Africa's presidents, and was critical of calls to force Mugabe's departure after 26 years at the helm.

"If Mugabe steps down, what will happen then?" asked Chissano, whose country has historic ties with neighbouring Zimbabwe, forged during their wars against white rule.

"What is happening now is bad, but it could be worse -- a big situation of violence could lead to internal war," he said.

But Chissano implied that Mugabe should have acted in the national interest and planned an orderly and dignified exit.

"There are some cases that (you realise) you are hindering ...democracy and development so you say 'yes, I will step down," he said. He said such a move could have saved Zimbabwe its political and economic crisis.

Western and domestic critics accuse Mugabe of political repression, vote rigging and mismanagement that has turned one of Africa's most promising economies into a basket case.

Zimbabweans are struggling with the world's highest inflation of over 1,000 percent, a jobless rate of some 70 percent and shortages of everything from food to fuel. Millions have fled abroad and hundreds try to leave daily.

The African Union last year asked Chissano to mediate between Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party and its domestic opponents to avert political upheaval, but Mugabe spurned the offer.

Western nations with the resources to bail out Zimbabwe have shunned Mugabe's government, which is under limited European Union sanctions over accusations of undermining democracy.

Chissano acknowledged that the poor international image of Mugabe's government was a major stumbling block to any effort to reverse Zimbabwe's steep economic decline.

"The quick recovery of the economy depends upon the recovery of its reputation -- this is their struggle," Chissano said.

Chissano ruled from 1986 to 2005 when he stepped down voluntarily, foregoing one more presidential term.

He secured peace between Mozambique's warring factions, who were responsible for some of Africa's worst atrocities during nearly two decades of civil strife. He introduced free market policies in the former Marxist state, turning it into a multi-party democracy and an African success story.

But Chissano disagreed with campaigners calling for African presidential terms to be limited to two, and questioned widespread criticism of Mugabe and Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni for clinging to power.

Museveni, in power since 1986, won election this year to a new five-year term, made possible by a constitutional change.

Chissano said many African countries had written a two-term limit into their constitutions but experience had shown at least three terms would be required. He said the ideal situation in Africa would be to have no term limits at all.

"The correct democracy is one which puts no limits on mandates and leaves everything to the will of the people," he said. - Reuters
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