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Article: The friendlessness of Robert Mugabe; Zimbabwe and Africa.(Africans tire of Robert Mugabe)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- March 23, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth is good news for Africa
IT WAS only a symbolic punishment, but symbols matter. On March 19th, the leaders of South Africa, Nigeria and Australia agreed, unexpectedly, to suspend Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth, a club composed largely of Britain's ex-colonies. Suspension carries few direct, practical consequences. It does not trigger economic sanctions, and it could even discourage some, such as the European Union, from tightening the mild sanctions currently in place. President Robert Mugabe's government quickly dismissed the decision as unimportant.
But the decision will, nonetheless, sting Mr Mugabe and may ...