Memorandum
Zimbabwean Democracy
To:
President Nixon
CC:
Vice President Agnew
From:
Allison Cannon, Secretary of State
Date:
May 4, 1970
Subject:
The Importance of American Influence in Zimbabwean Democracy
Context
Zimbabwe was once a prosperous African nation, but under the leadership of
President Mugabe, all that prosperity has disappeared. Mugabe wished to
retaliate against the history of imperialism in his nation and in doing so
either killed or drove out the white farmers. The country that once exported
food is now starving. The economy has collapsed, and inflation is rampant. On
top of that Mugabe has committed numerous crimes against humanity as well as killing
off his political opponents and attempting ethnic cleansing especially against
the white inhibitors.
Task
The task at hand is to stop humanitarian crimes from being committed as well as
making sure the elections stay free and fair. Mugabe has intimidated political
opponents, arrested and killed them. In order to promote democracy, the United
States is obliged to monitor the elections. It is necessary as well for the
United States intervene on the grounds of humanitarian crimes.
Solution
The United States must act quickly in order to stop Mugabe from killing any
more citizens as well as allowing for the destruction of the white farmers'
homes. There must be an international effort to stop this behavior as an
attempt to quell the situation by the United States alone would merely add to the
anti-colonial behavior and belief of the people of Zimbabwe. It is important to
use the United Nations with its international authority to address the
situations currently taking place. While it would be unproductive for the
United States to tackle this problem on our own, it is essential that the
United States is the leader of the UN coalition, proving to the world our
commitment to human rights and free and fair elections. The United Nations
should impose sanctions on Mugabe and freeze any of his off-shore assets along
with imposing sanctions on other high ranking government officials. UN
peacekeepers should be stationed in Zimbabwe to stop the looting and help
provide a mediator between the white citizens and the government and black
citizens. Land re-appropriation may be the solution, but it should not be done
by militant civilian groups, it defames any legitimacy.
Evidence
The United States had taken part in
numerous arguably successful sanction policies in the past such as the ones placed
on Iran. It is not guaranteed
that sanctions will be useful in this situation, but as of now, it seems the
most viable and peaceful option. United Nations peacekeepers have years of
experience protecting people in the most dangerous places around the world
including some African nations. This experience will help them to tailor their
actions to be effective in the environment of Zimbabwe.
Failed Solutions
United Nations peacekeepers have been deployed all around the world to bring
order to places of chaos. The majority of the time, deploying peacekeepers is
effective. However, there are a few instances where their efforts and the
efforts of the United Nations has failed. This was the case with Somalia when
UN forces were forced to leave because of the distrust and resentment of
different factions within the Somalian society. Humanitarian aid workers found
themselves shot at and their vehicles hijacked. With no functioning government,
it was impossible for the peacekeepers to effectively keep the peace. We must
learn from these mistakes and address the need for a stable government by
promoting fair and free elections.
Implementation
It is vital for the United States to immediately place sanctions on Mugabe and
the high-ranking government officials of Zimbabwe. Next, the United Nations
must come together and act quickly to join the United States in its efforts.
Mugabe's foreign assets must be seized, and every nation must place sanctions
on him. I would recommend 30,000 United Nation troops/peacekeepers be
immediately sent to the area to stop Mugabe's ruthless killing of political
opponents and to stop any ethnic cleansing or crimes against humanity. It is
essential that a sense of calm and safety be restored as soon as possible so a
political adversary can arise without fear of persecution. At this point, a
coup is too risky as it would create a power vacuum so the change in power must
come peacefully.
Summary
In summary, immediate action must be taken to ensure the safety of every
individual in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is struggling to grasp the hand of freedom and
democracy, but Mugabe is doing his best to dash that away and hide his immense
power under the guise of democracy. Lives are being taken, and democracy is
being threatened, and it is up to the United States to lead the charge to end
the atrocities. The United States has power, but together with the United
Nations, anything can be accomplished.
Works Cited
McGreal,
Chris. "Zimbabwe's 'ethnic Cleansing' Continues." The Guardian.
August 15, 2001. Accessed April 06,
2018. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/aug/15/zimbabwe.chrismcgreal.
"Our
Successes Peacekeeping." United Nations. Accessed April 06, 2018. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/our-successes.
"UNITED
NATIONS OPERATION IN SOMALIA I - (UNOSOM I)." United Nations. Accessed April 06, 2018.
http://www.un.org/Depts/DPKO/Missions/unosomi.htm.
Ally,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I think your plan to intervene in Zimbabwe is superb! Using the UN, but only as a mediator, to give legitimacy to the government is a fantastic idea.
I think sanctions could help, and that a peaceful solution is absolutely important. The only think I would say, is that Zimbabwe, aside from the humanitarian crisis, doesn't seem to be all that important to the US, so I think using the UN is a good idea, rather then the US military/State Department.
Overall, this is a great memo!
Hi Ally,
ReplyDeleteI'm a little confused with your memo. The memo is addressed to Richard Nixon in 1970, but you mention historical dates that occur later on i.e. South Korea in 1975 and Iran in 1979. Also Carter was really interested in democratic outcomes. The easiest way to address these details is to write it for George Bush or Barrack Obama. If you would like a more historical memo you may want to focus on Carter and use evidence from the Nixon Administration. Hopefully this helps.
-Dan
Hello Ally,
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of peacekeepers in Zimbabwe because it would show that America is interested in non-violent alternatives to implementing democracy, however, I am nervous that it simply won't be enough. Peacekeepers have been placed in Zimbabwe before and, as you said, it did not work; they were met with violence. I like the concept of peacekeepers, but I worry that that won't be enough. Great work though!