ABC News has a story on the continuing oppression in Zimbabwe as dictator Robert Mugabe is set to use intimidation, threats, and violence in order to throw the upcoming elections to his favor. Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo is one of the few willing to publicly speak out against the Mugabe regime, an act of bravery given the political situation.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is once again running against Mugabe, and it seems unlikely that Mugabe would allow himself to lose, regardless of the actual election outcome on Thursday. While the surrounding African nations have been pressuring Mugabe to stop using violence against his political opponents, his recent comments calling Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) “traitors” is not exactly a sign that he’s willing to cooperate in good faith.
The situation in Zimbabwe is a reminder that while we’ve made significant progress in spreading democracy and freedom worldwide, we’ve still a long way to go…
