Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabwe a pariah state that can't even be trusted by fellow African countries!
17 May 2022 at 16:41hrs | Views
Can African countries genuinely trust the rogue Zimbabwe regime?
In fact, should African nations be so foolhardy and naive as to place their trust in a proven pariah state as Zimbabwe?
Why should they - in light of a government that finds absolutely nothing untoward and unbecoming with providing refuge to international criminals - on the most wanted list for grievous crimes against humanity, genocide, and ethnic cleansing in several fellow African countries?
The most recent case being reports of the southern African nation's gravely embarrassing and sinister harboring of notorious fugitive, Protais Mpiranya - who was one of the masterminds behind the 1994 genocide, in which over 800,000 ethnic Tutsi and moderate Huti were brutally massacred by the Huti.
The genocidaire was indicted in 2000 by the International Criminal Tribunal for his role in this most heinous and barbaric chapter in Rwandan history - but, the Zimbabwe regime had no qualms providing him the protection, comfort, and leisure that ordinary Zimbabweans could never ever expect from their own government.
Instead of facing justice for his horrendous and most despicable crimes, the Harare administration found it worthy and prudent to shield him - yet, quick to arrest local Zimbabweans on spurious charges, which have seldom resulted in any convictions, solely for their fight for human rights and the dignity of their fellow countrymen and women.
Mpiranya subsequently died, and was buried in Harare in 2006, having lived happily under the assumed name of Ndume Sambao.
Such shameful incidents expose the nature of those in charge of running the affairs of our country - for these are a bunch of people, more like bandits, who would rather place their lot with crooks, criminals, and murderers, rather than those on the right side of history, who struggle for the greater good of all mankind (whom the regime actually perceives as unwanted and undesirables).
The disgraceful and disgusting Zimbabwe ruling establishment did not stop there - but, also harbored another world infamous blood-thirsty villainous criminal, in the form of former Ethiopian dictator, Mengistu Haile Mariam - who ruled the "horn of Africa" country with an iron fist from 1977 to 1991.
This man still resides in Harare, despite an Ethiopian court verdict that found him guilty, in absentia, of genocide - which held his government responsible for the deaths of an estimated 500,000 to 2,000,000 Ethiopians, mostly between 1983 and 1985.
Ironically, this was the same period that his hosts, the Zimbabwe ruling elite, were also busy butchering over 20,000 civilians of Ndebele ethnicity, in the Matebeleland and Midlands provinces - which accurately explains their attraction, affection, and compassion for like-minded criminals.
Who else is the country keeping safely from answering for their sins in other African countries?
Can a country Ike Mozambique actually trust their western neighbor that, one day, they will not give refuge to the likes of Abu Yasir Hassan (aka Yaseer Hassan, or Abu Qasim) - leader of the ISIS-affiliated al-Shabaab terrorist group unleashing a rein of terror mainly in the coastal Cabo Delgado province since October 2017?
As a matter of fact, why is the ruling ZANU PF party so obsessed with naming its violent youth gangs after these insurgency groups?
This should say a lot about this party, and its government's admiration and idolization of terrorism, and anything that is associated with atrocities against innocent civilians.
If I were the leader of an African country, there was no way under the face of the sun that I would trust the Zimbabwe regime - since, their bloodied and disdainful history proves how easy it is for them to protect and shelter notorious bandits, who would have caused mindless bloodshed in my own nations.
It is undeniable that ZANU PF has turned our beloved Zimbabwe into a pariah state - which should be a source of concern and worry for fellow African nations, and can actually be used as a source of instability.
And, this is a regime that wants to be regarded as Pan-Africanists!
Pan-African, my foot!
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, researcher, and social commentator. Please feel free to contact him on WhatsApp/Call: +263715667700 / +263782283975, or Calls Only: +263788897936 / +263733399640, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com
In fact, should African nations be so foolhardy and naive as to place their trust in a proven pariah state as Zimbabwe?
Why should they - in light of a government that finds absolutely nothing untoward and unbecoming with providing refuge to international criminals - on the most wanted list for grievous crimes against humanity, genocide, and ethnic cleansing in several fellow African countries?
The most recent case being reports of the southern African nation's gravely embarrassing and sinister harboring of notorious fugitive, Protais Mpiranya - who was one of the masterminds behind the 1994 genocide, in which over 800,000 ethnic Tutsi and moderate Huti were brutally massacred by the Huti.
The genocidaire was indicted in 2000 by the International Criminal Tribunal for his role in this most heinous and barbaric chapter in Rwandan history - but, the Zimbabwe regime had no qualms providing him the protection, comfort, and leisure that ordinary Zimbabweans could never ever expect from their own government.
Instead of facing justice for his horrendous and most despicable crimes, the Harare administration found it worthy and prudent to shield him - yet, quick to arrest local Zimbabweans on spurious charges, which have seldom resulted in any convictions, solely for their fight for human rights and the dignity of their fellow countrymen and women.
Mpiranya subsequently died, and was buried in Harare in 2006, having lived happily under the assumed name of Ndume Sambao.
Such shameful incidents expose the nature of those in charge of running the affairs of our country - for these are a bunch of people, more like bandits, who would rather place their lot with crooks, criminals, and murderers, rather than those on the right side of history, who struggle for the greater good of all mankind (whom the regime actually perceives as unwanted and undesirables).
The disgraceful and disgusting Zimbabwe ruling establishment did not stop there - but, also harbored another world infamous blood-thirsty villainous criminal, in the form of former Ethiopian dictator, Mengistu Haile Mariam - who ruled the "horn of Africa" country with an iron fist from 1977 to 1991.
This man still resides in Harare, despite an Ethiopian court verdict that found him guilty, in absentia, of genocide - which held his government responsible for the deaths of an estimated 500,000 to 2,000,000 Ethiopians, mostly between 1983 and 1985.
Ironically, this was the same period that his hosts, the Zimbabwe ruling elite, were also busy butchering over 20,000 civilians of Ndebele ethnicity, in the Matebeleland and Midlands provinces - which accurately explains their attraction, affection, and compassion for like-minded criminals.
Who else is the country keeping safely from answering for their sins in other African countries?
Can a country Ike Mozambique actually trust their western neighbor that, one day, they will not give refuge to the likes of Abu Yasir Hassan (aka Yaseer Hassan, or Abu Qasim) - leader of the ISIS-affiliated al-Shabaab terrorist group unleashing a rein of terror mainly in the coastal Cabo Delgado province since October 2017?
As a matter of fact, why is the ruling ZANU PF party so obsessed with naming its violent youth gangs after these insurgency groups?
This should say a lot about this party, and its government's admiration and idolization of terrorism, and anything that is associated with atrocities against innocent civilians.
If I were the leader of an African country, there was no way under the face of the sun that I would trust the Zimbabwe regime - since, their bloodied and disdainful history proves how easy it is for them to protect and shelter notorious bandits, who would have caused mindless bloodshed in my own nations.
It is undeniable that ZANU PF has turned our beloved Zimbabwe into a pariah state - which should be a source of concern and worry for fellow African nations, and can actually be used as a source of instability.
And, this is a regime that wants to be regarded as Pan-Africanists!
Pan-African, my foot!
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, researcher, and social commentator. Please feel free to contact him on WhatsApp/Call: +263715667700 / +263782283975, or Calls Only: +263788897936 / +263733399640, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com
Source - Tendai Ruben Mbofana
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
