Security Council To Hear Zimbabwean Opposition Complaint This Week, Sanctions Motion Likely

DOI 28 April 2008

SOUTH AFRICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION (HARARE)--Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Secretary-General Tendai Biti will take MDC's claim of victory in last month's election over President Robert Mugabe to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) this week (likely Wednesday morning). Biti will almost certainly say that MDC will not participate in an election runoff, according to MDC sources (NFI); as well as request a UN Special Envoy to assist the South African Development Community (SADC) to resolve the increasingly violent issue. Source: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/africa/news/article_1402162.php/Zimbabwe_opposition_to_brief_UN_Security_Council__2nd_Roundup

Analysis: The SADC region is hardening it stance to Mugabe following China's recall of the arms ship AnYue Jin. Last week US Special envoy for Africa, Jendayi Fraser, went on the record that MDC won the election, and in favor of arms sanctions against Zimbabwe, which was echoed by the UK. Despite increasing public pressure to stop supporting Mugabe's regime, China (UNSC Permanent Member, and primary Zimbabwean arms supplier) and South Africa (UNSC President - April) are unlikely to allow an arms embargo to pass. (Analytic Confidence: 6)