CSO's mobilise for a way out in Zimbabwe

General report of WACSOF-Togo's campaign on Zimbabwean crisis

Read a link related to the crisis :

Zimbabwe's political crisis grows



From 12th to13th May 2008 was held in Abuja (Nigeria) under auspices of the West African Bars Association (WABA), West African Human Rights Forum (WAHRF) and of West African Civil Society Organization Forum (WACSOF) working with Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), a dialogue on the political situation in Zimbabwe under the theme: "Institutionalizing peaceful political transitions in Africa".
This meeting saw the participation of about fifty representatives of civil society organizations, of organizations partners, of members of academia and experts from 13 ECOWAS member countries, Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The objectives of the meeting were to:

- Sensitize African CSOs on the situation of Zimbabwe in order to rally their support in particular to the promotion of the democratic principles in this country, and
- Examine the ways and means permitting to take the challenges of political transitions in general in Africa.

The expected results of the dialogue are the following:

- A final communiqué has been issued expressing the answer of the West African CSOs to the crisis in Zimbabwe;
- An action plan inviting the respective governments at country level to assure the follow-up of the activities in all countries in West Africa has been elaborated;
- A joint delegation has been formed to present the final communiqué to President Blaise Compaore, current Chairman of ECOWAS;
- A strategy and a roadmap have been elaborated to hire ECOWAS and AU, while taking advantage of Heads of States summits of these two institutions that will hold in June.
As one can notice it, the result number two (n° 2) is not an end in itself; it requires an implementation. It is out of it that the promoters of dialogue made available for every national branch of participating WACSOF, a sum of a value of $ 5000 US dollars, the equivalent of about 2000 000 F.CFA for the accomplishment of the different activities planned in the action plan.
With regard to WACSOF-Togo, the action plan indicates the 7 main elements as follows:

- Development and diffusion of the report (electronic file) of the meeting of Abuja to the networks of CSOs ;
- Organization of a press conference for the restitution of the results of the meeting of Abuja;
- Organization of a round table for CSOs involved in issues related to human rights protection and promotion of democracy and publish the report of the activities of the round table;
- Insertion of the final communiqué of the Abuja meeting in newspapers E. Sensitization on the media;
- Publication on the website of West Africa Social Forum 2008;
- Order of Mass/Church for the rest of the souls of the dead people and for peaceful and transparent elections in Zimbabwe.

Despite some difficulties, the outcome of implementation by WACSOF-Togo of its plan of action has been very positive. It was delighted with enthusiasm demonstrated by partners and other parties who collaborated for the success of the activities, and hereby underscores in their commitment a fertile ground for greater actions in the sense of the building of a prosperous strong Africa respecting the right of the peoples to self-determination.
Ultimately, is commitment for the institutionalization of peaceful political transitions in Africa not the answer to the feeling of a duty to accomplish, when one knows that we are not only responsible for what we do but also for what we don't do?

AMEGADZE Kokou Elorm

Rapporteur of WACSOF-Togo