African Union Vs UN Peacekeepers

The UN might give up their ineffective peacekeeping in the Congo and let the African Union do the work.

From StategyPage, whose article is cynically called "we want to help ourselves to your stuff"... 
(referring to Zimbabwe's history of plundering the minerals when they were in the force).

if the AU takes over, it could have long term geopolitical effects...maybe toward a lose African confederation similar to that once proposed by Ghadaffi (but unlike his suggestion, not run by white Arabs of the north)...

but this part of the article is about Zimbabwe:

August 21, 2012: The government responded to critics who argue the Zimbabwe should not be allowed to deploy peacekeeping troops in the Congo. 
The government said that Zimbabwean troops contributed to stability when they deployed into the Congo during the Great Congo War. 
Others remember Zimbabwean participation quite differently. 

The Zimbabwean forces reportedly committed many atrocities and plundered Congolese mineral resources. Zimbabwe sent troops to the Congo in 1998 and only withdrew them in 2001. A UN study found evidence that Zimbabwean Army officers and senior members of Zimbabwe’s governing ZANU-PF party made money by selling and smuggling Congolese resources...

At the time Zimbabwe’s dictator, Robert Mugabe, justified sending troops because he contended the Uganda and Rwanda had invaded the Congo. In 2009, the Angolan government stated that SADC’s Standby Brigade was ready to intervene in the Congo, if asked. SADC has 15 members, Malawi, Angola, Congo, The Republic of Congo, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mauritius, Lesotho, Mozambique, Madagascar, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the Seychelles. (Austin Bay)

Corruption in Zimbabwe and Zvinavashe (0ld report)

From SA Sunday Independent, dated 20 April 2000.


...It is widely accepted in Zimbabwe opposition circles that one of the reasons President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party are trying so desperately to cling to power is the fear of exposure.

"Only when we get into government and get to the books - as the Nigerians did - will we be able to get a clearer idea of how much has disappeared," an MDC official said....the chief economist of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions had estimated the cost of corruption in the past three years alone at a billion US dollars - half of Zimbabwe's annual export income...

The government has also dismissed charges of corruption involving the Osleg company headed by General Vitalis Zvinavashe, the military chief, and Job Whabira, the permanent secretary for defence.

Osleg was formed in 1998 and is in partnership with Comiex, a Congolese company run by President Laurent Kabila's military chiefs. Its expressed aim is to trade in gold and diamonds.

When Osleg was formed, Moven Mohachi, the Zimbabwe defence minister, noted: "Instead of our army in Congo burdening the treasury for more resources, which are not available, it embarks on viable projects for the sake of generating the necessary revenue."

The Zimbabwe military hoped to raise $5-million a month through Osleg. However, the diamonds appear to have been mined and sold and most of the money has apparently vanished.

Zvinavashe's commercial involvement also extends beyond Osleg. He and his brother Augustine, who died last month, owned Swift Investments which, in its turn, owns Zvinavashe Transport. The transport company has been a major beneficiary of military contracts to supply Zimbabwe's forces in Congo...

General Zvinavashe funeral

from Zimbabwe Herald:

Harare — THE late Retired General Vitalis Musungwa Gava Zvinavashe, who passed away on March 10 2009 at Manyame Airbase Hospital in Harare, was on Wednesday declared a national hero.

He will be buried at the national shrine tomorow. Below is a full reproduction of the submissions made for the conferment of National Hero status to the late Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces....

• The Grand Commander of the Zimbabwe Order of Merit.

He is credited with efforts to institutionalise the Organisation of African Unity's (now African Union) Central Mechanism on Conflict Prevention, Resolution and Management as well as the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security.

The idea of the African Standby Force, which is now coming to fruition, gathered momentum after the meeting of African Chiefs of Defence Staff in Harare October 24-25 1997, which he chaired.

His relentless quest for regional peace and security is clearly demonstrated by his valuable contributions during the deliberations of the Sadc Organ's Interstate Defence and Security Committee and Interstate Politics and Diplomacy Committees.

As he assumed command of the ZNA in 1992, Zimbabwe responded to the United Nations' call for the deployment of military observers in Angola (UNAVEM II) and peacekeepers in Somalia (United Nations Mission in Somalia [UNOSOM])...

In 1998, he was instrumental in the deployment of Sadc Allied Forces in support of the Democratic Republic of Congo government in the face of invasion by Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.....

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from TalkZimbabwe March 2008:

RETIRED General Vitalis Zvinavashe who was reported to be backing Zimbabwe presidential hopeful Dr Simba Makoni has issued a statement denying the allegations saying he will never be "part and parcel" of the Makoni faction....

General Zvinavashe also criticised Zanu PF politburo member, Dumiso Dabengwa for jumping ship and joining Makoni.
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from SWRadioAfrica January 2008:

Former army general Vitalis Zvinavashe sent political temperatures soaring Monday after calling on Robert Mugabe to step down. A report on the Zimbabwe Times website quotes Zvinavashe saying; ‘By clinging on to power Mugabe was betraying the essence of the liberation struggle.’ Although the report does not say where the remarks were made our sources say Zvinavashe, a politburo member, addressed a meeting of constituents in Gutu on Monday.

Known for his controversial and blunt remarks Zvinavashe is also quoted as saying; ‘I may also want to be president one day, but if one clings onto power for too long how do you expect youngsters to be leaders of tomorrow?...

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from ZWNews:

,,,...On the same day the MDC issued a condolence message at the death of a Zanu PF stalwart, speaking in very glowing terms about retired Army-General Zvinavashe. This was a man who used the war in the DRC to enrich himself and who publicly declared he would not salute Tsvangirai.

There are very mixed reactions about what all this unusual rhetoric means and if it is sincere. Some say the untimely death of the Prime Minister's wife may be the catalyst that will bring the divided country together. They believe that through her death, and that of General Zvinavashe, Zanu PF and the MDC may work together differently. But there are others who are extremely sceptical and say the sequence of events is very strange and seem too well orchestrated. The sceptics say it is delusional to think that Zanu PF has suddenly changed, after years of violence, torture, beatings and deliberately inflicted starvation.,,,

Zim army limits arms given to soldiers

from ZimOnline:

HARARE – Zimbabwe army commanders have put severe restrictions on issuance of weapons, fearing possible mutiny by disgruntled junior soldiers who have staged riots and looted property in recent months, sources told ZimOnline. Soldiers going on national assignments were now being vetted thoroughly before they are issued with arms and ammunition, according to our sources, who are senior officers in the army and spoke on condition they were not named.

....

In the past few weeks, soldiers have looted shops and cash around the country saying their salaries were too little to feed them. Soldiers have joined teachers, nurses and doctors in demanding the government pays them in hard cash....

Top soldiers paid with Foreign money

from New Zimbabwe


THE cash-strapped Zimbabwe government is paying top army officers’ salaries in foreign currency, New Zimbabwe.com can reveal.

Soldiers ranked from colonel up to the commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) started receiving their salaries in hard currency in December with the lowest paid taking home US$2,000 per month.

Sources said last month's rioting by junior officers in central Harare was triggered by the government move that discriminates against lower rank officers.....

Army deserters underscore Zim's troubles