William Hague: 'Arab spring' could topple Robert Mugabe

You have to admire Mad Bob Mugabe. He's had years and years of sanctions imposed on him and his cronies, as well as many countries against him and his actions, yet he still clings to power. Of course he's managed to ruin his economy and many of his citizens have hightailed it to South Africa for sanctuary, but does he care? Not a bit. He just continues with his daily routine of hounding the last couple of farmers off their land and killing whoever opposes him. William Hague, the British Foreign Secretary, is speculating that Mad Bob may fall as his people see what is happening to the North of the continent. Yeah, wishful thinking. The people are starving - where are they going to get the energy to overthrow their tyrant?? In any case, I have a bit of a problem with the Libyan no-fly zone. Africa has had it's fair share of dictators, murdering their people at will, whilst the world and particularly the UN stand by and watch. Yet, all of a sudden they've woken from their slumber to bomb Giddafi - ostensibly to protect his citizens? How about invading Zimbabwe? Or Sudan a few years back? How about Darfur? Or even Somalia? No, they chose Giddafi. This from Obama, who promised to withdraw his troops from Afghanistan and close Gitmo. He approves the bombing of his pal Giddafi and then runs to South America to visit with the peeps down there whilst Rome burns. A true, irrational 'leader'. What has he gotten America into?

Hat tip: REXTRUT

The Foreign Secretary said that recent revolts against authoritarian leaders in countries including Libya and Egypt will have a greater historic significance than the 9/11 attacks on the US or the recent financial crisis.

Mr Hague stopped short of threatening military intervention against other dictators, but warned that they will inevitably face “judgment” for oppressing their people and suppressing democracy.

In a speech to business leaders in London, Mr Hague said that the examples being set in north Africa and the Middle East will ultimately transform the relationship between governments and their populations.

“We are only in the early stages of what is happening in North Africa and the Middle East. It is already set to overtake the 2008 financial crisis and 9/11 as the most important development of the early 21st century,” he said.

"Inspiring scenes of people taking the future of their countries into their own hands will ignite greater demands for good governance and political reform elsewhere in the world, including in Asia and in Africa."

In what will be seen as warning to Western allies including Saudi Arabia, Mr Hague added that the spreading demand for more representative government is likely to bring “some degree of political change in all countries in the Arab world.”

Repressive African regimes will also face challenges from their populations and from the international community, the Foreign Secretary said: “Demands for freedom will spread, and that undemocratic governments elsewhere should take heed.”

He added: “Governments that use violence to stop democratic development will not earn themselves respite forever. They will pay an increasingly high price for actions which they can no longer hide from the world with ease, and will find themselves on the wrong side of history.”

Britain, the US and France have said that members of the Gaddafi regime in Libya could face war crimes trials for atrocities against civilians.

“At a time of such hope and optimism in the Middle East, we cannot let the Libyan government violate every principle of international law and human rights with impunity,” Mr Hague said, suggesting that other African leaders could also face international legal tribunals.

“Governments that block the aspirations of their people, that steal or are corrupt, that oppress and torture or that deny freedom of expression and human rights should bear in mind that they will find it increasingly hard to escape the judgement of their own people, or where warranted, the reach of international law,” he said.

Mr Hague named African leaders including Mr Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980.

The Zimbabwean security forces “continue to act with impunity, ramping up intimidation in order to instil fear in its opponents and to prevent the people of Zimbabwe from expressing their democratic voice,” Mr Hague said.

He also named Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivoire, who has refused to concede that he lost last year’s presidential election, and is “sanctioning attacks on defenceless civilians in a desperate attempt to cling illegitimately to power”.

Despite repression in some countries, Mr Hague said that Africa now stands at a “turning point” that could lead to economic growth and political reform benefiting millions of people.

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