AU fooled yet again

The Mugabe regime won yet another reprieve from the African Union this week when ministers decided to give Harare another opportunity to respond to the damning report of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights.

The government has been opposing the tabling of the report before the AU since 2004, initially saying that it had not received the report through the proper diplomatic

channels, despite the fact that a copy had been given to the minister of justice, Patrick Chinamasa. Then it said it needed more time to respond. And then, a year later, insisting that the report had not been translated into all four languages on the occasion. The government has now responded, disputing the charges, and the AU is seeking further clarification of the response.

AU ministers discussed the report and Harare's response for about five hours at the recent Gambia meeting, but Zimbabwean officials challenged details of the report.

Observers say this is yet another delaying tactic as AU officials found Zimbabwe guilty of gross human rights abuses, particularly in relation to the 2002 Presidential elections. This has already been overtaken by events.