Among the numerous human rights violations going on in Zimbabwe, I am left with only a frustration with diplomacy. Zimbabwe is under a major crisis—massive inflation has lead to a valueless currency, cholera is claiming the lives of tens of thousands of people, hospitals and schools have almost completely shut down, and to top it all off, there is a massive food shortage. While I am normally on the side of institutions such as the WHO and UN for their efforts in the developing world, I now find that I want much more action out of them. As we wait for a solution to somehow reveal itself to Zimbabwe (despite what a hopeless idea this seems to be with a militant leader determined to keep his rule) people are literally dying of disease and starvation. Additionally, the problems are spreading to neighboring countries and the WHO has claimed that the Cholera epidemic will have serious regional implications. In lieu of all the acknowledged harm coming to, and already existent in, the region, I can't help but feel exasperation for the lack of action taken by the NGOs. It seems only a matter of time before enough of the right people get desperate, and a bloody fight to overthrow Mugabe begins. If this is the case, then by waiting for that to happen, aren't we simply prolonging the inevitable at the stake of the lives of thousands? In the end, there must exist a point where a country's right to autonomy and self-determination is subordinate to the other—and I would argue, more important—rights of the country's people. Though I do not know exactly where that point is, I am fairly confident that in Zimbabwe, Mugabe has surpassed it.
For more information, I would suggest you read the following articles published on the issue recently:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/world/africa/12cholera.html
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