[Marxism] Congo vs Zimbabwe

[Walter Lippmann <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

COMMENT: One country has an international campaign directed against it by 
Washington, London and some on the left. The other country does NOT. This
is NOT to defend the government of Zimbabwe, just to point out a notable
disparity in the coverages given to these two situations.
==============================================================================

Bemba flies for treatment in Portugal
--------------------------------------
Opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba left the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) on Wednesday, ending three weeks holed up in South
Africa's embassy after his forces were routed in two days of fighting
that killed 600 last month. A Reuters witness said Bemba boarded a
private jet bound for Portugal, where he is due to have medical
treatment.

Bemba, who led a Ugandan-backed rebellion against the Kinshasa
government in the DRC's 1998 to 2003 war, lost a presidential run-off
in October to incumbent Joseph Kabila in the vast, mineral-rich
Central African state's first free polls in more than 40 years.
FULL:
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/&articleId=304337


Will Mbeki move from quiet diplomacy?
--------------------------------------
A debate is under way among analysts and civil society activists
about how South African President Thabo Mbeki should proceed in
fulfilling the mandate given to him last month by the Southern
African Development Community to continue mediating between
Zimbabwe's government and opposition.
---------------------------------
One activist was killed in the latest bout of repression, while a
number of opposition supporters were beaten and hospitalised when a
prayer meeting was broken up by police on March 11 -- including
Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of one of the factions in the MDC.
--------------------------------
Failed strike
Trade unions in Zimbabwe called for a strike last week to increase
the pressure for political change. However, there was reportedly a
limited response to the appeal.

"With unemployment standing at 80%, you can imagine the pressure on
the 20% employed -- many of whom do not belong to any union," says
Nicholas Dube, a representative in South Africa of the MDC. "The
majority of Zimbabweans are self-employed, selling tomatoes or other
types of vegetables. They are not members of any union to go on
strike."

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?area=/insight/insight__africa/&articleId=304286




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