Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba has said that African leaders should assist Zimbabweans to resolve their problems, according to news reaching here.
Speaking at a banquet he hosted for visiting Liberian leader Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Windhoek on Sunday, President Pohamba told his guest that Africa should assist Zimbabweans to work together in finding a lasting solution to the problems in the country, The Herald reported on Wednesday.
The Namibian leader's statement was in line with the African Union (AU) resolution at its recent summit in Egypt that Zimbabweans should engage in dialogue to resolve the country's problems. The AU adopted the Southern African Development Community (SADC) proposed resolution and asked President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa to continue mediating in Zimbabwe. Liberia was one of the countries that was against the resolution to encourage dialogue and backed mounting pressure on the Zimbabwe government.
On Saturday Johnson-Sirleaf repeated her criticism of Zimbabwe, telling the annual Nelson Mandela Lecture in the run-up to the anti-apartheid icon's 90th birthday in Soweto that she unsuccessfully urged other African leaders to denounce the 27 June presidential election run-off in Zimbabwe.
She also touched on Zimbabwe at the banquet. But President Pohamba told her that Zimbabwe should find an all-inclusive Zimbabwean solution to its challenges.
"Now that the elections are over, we (African leaders) should assist the leaders and people of Zimbabwe to work together to find an all-inclusive solution in order to address the political and economic problems facing that country," he said.
Pohamba said it was important for Africa to maintain peace and security in solving problems on the continent. "The maintenance of peace and security on our continent should be the overriding consideration in all our actions," he said.
Pohamba's call for unity in Zimbabwe came in total contrast to his guest, Johnson-Sirleaf, who has joined Britain, the United States and some African leaders on an anti-Zimbabwe drive calling for more sanctions against the country.
The AU summit also appealed to other African states and parties to refrain from "any action that may negatively impact on the climate of dialogue."
The African leaders indicated that they are "convinced that the people of Zimbabwe will be able to resolve their differences and work together once again as one nation, provided they receive undivided support from SADC, the AU and the world at large.
"Several countries have come in full support of the SADC initiated dialogue for a permanent solution to Zimbabwe's problems. Last week, China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted sanctions resolution against Zimbabwe at the UN Security Council meeting in New York.
Source:Xinhua
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