If the blood-thirsty leader of the central African nation of Zimbabwe is true to this word, a runoff

If the blood-thirsty leader of the central African nation of Zimbabwe is true to this word, a runoff election is being held today — the results of which are certain to reaffirm Robert Mugabe’s 28-year rule. The certainty of the outcome stems from the fact that opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who had defeated Mugabe in the regular election in March but failed to secure a majority, withdrew earlier this week from the runoff. Tsvangirai’s decision was prompted by the murder of at least 86 of his supporters by militants loyal to the president.

The thugs have cut a wide swath of death and destruction in areas of the country populated by supporters of the opposition leader. Indeed, voters were threatened with bodily harm if they did not go to the polls and cast their ballots for Mugabe.

That’s why the results of today’s election will have no credibility — and why the international community must keep up the pressure against the ruling party.

There should be a recognition, however, that after more than two decades in power, President Mugabe is not going to go away willingly or quietly.

He has proved to be a master manipulator, casting himself as the victim of a grand conspiracy by Britain, the former colonial power that ruled the country when it was called Rhodesia, and its chief ally, the United States.

Thus, the decision by Queen Elizabeth II to strip Mugabe of his honorary knighthood will only serve to support his claims that he is a target.

And, the sanctions imposed by the U.S., other European nations and Australia against the African country will be portrayed as proof of the West’s hatred of Africans.

Outside interference

It has been clear for some time that diplomatic appeals, even those with an edge, will have little effect. Pressure from other African nations on Mugabe to change his heavy-handed ways have been dismissed as outside interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country.

So what is to be done? The U.S. and the European Union, which have frozen the assets of more than 100 people, including Mugabe and members of his inner circle, should take this a step further.

Banks that are maintaining personal accounts for the president and his minions should be required by the United Nations and the International Court of Justice at the Hague to make public the monetary value of those accounts.

It is not far-fetched to believe that hundreds of millions of dollars have been stolen from Zimbabwe’s treasury by Mugabe and others and sent out of the country. Given the practice of many Third World rulers who have enriched themselves from the billions of dollars in foreign aid allocations, it would come as no surprise to find that the president of Zimbabwe and those close to him are millionaires.

Meanwhile, Zimbabweans are starving to death by the hundreds of thousands. The economy is in shambles, once highly productive farms are now barren, and the inflation rate has risen to the point of being meaningless.

The only hope for the country is for the ruling party to be toppled by force. But since an invasion by foreign troops is out of the question — a humanitarian crisis does not rise to the level of a national security interest — an internal uprising is the only viable option.

Such an uprising would be triggered if the people could see just how much money Mugabe and his lawless supporters have stolen from the country.

An air drop of leaflets providing such information would certainly have a greater impact than diplomatic appeals to the government from Washington and other capitals.