-- Confab set for May 15
In our issue of last Friday, our ever-prescient “Odikro” wanted to know whether it is not true that President Mugabe of Zimbabwe had announced that the Western powers had given President Kufuor US$5 million to organise a Conference in Accra on May 17, 2007, to condemn him and the Zimbabwe ZANU-PF Government.

Last Monday, indefatigable Kwesi Pratt Jnr’s ‘Insight’ newspaper provided the answer, and it was yes: not only has President Mugabe announced it, but the Conference is actually coming on in Accra between 15th -17th May, 2007, under the guise of an African Union three-day public session of the African Commission for Peoples and Human Rights.

Here is the story, as reported in ‘The Insight’ of Monday 5th – Tuesday 6th May, 2007.

Now read on----- “KUFUOR LINES UP AU COMMISSION TO BASH MUGABE

The African Union is holding a three-day public session of the African Commission for Peoples and Human Rights in Ghana between 15th May and 17th May, 2007.

On the surface, the event looks like an ordinary session to discuss issues of human rights in Africa. It would have been a welcome event, taking account of events taking place in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and almost all the African nations.

However, information reaching us indicates that the forum is being sponsored and financed by the European Union and the US as part of their campaign against the government of Zimbabwe, led by President Robert Mugabe. Since the formation of the AU, Africa has been witnessing a situation whereby non-AU economic and political blocks routinely pay the AU to discuss and agree whatever these political blocks would like the AU to adopt. In April this year, the AU and a selected group of NGOs were summoned to the Dutch Hotel in Accra with the intention of making them agree on a communiqué prepared by the European Union.

The 15-17 May session of the African Commission for Peoples and Human Rights is one of such events.

The event is tailored to agree a statement that contains a general commentary on the human rights situation in Africa but which then zeroes in on Zimbabwe and its President. It is believed that the European Union and the US government will send high powered delegations to ensure that Zimbabwe becomes the centre piece of this session.

In February and March this year, there were extensive discussions in the British parliament as to how they could use President Kufuor to intensify the campaign against Mugabe. It started when Kufuor was in Britain. This AU Commission meeting is only part of that plan”.