December 8, 2003	Monday	Shawwal 13, 1424

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ABUJA, Dec 7: Commonwealth leaders agreed on Sunday to extend sanctions against Zimbabwe for violating the group’s democratic values, said a spokesman for the 54-nation club of mainly former British colonies.

Asked if the leaders had agreed to continue Harare’s suspension from the Commonwealth, the spokesman said: “Yes”.

Earlier, a Zambian source said the heads of state had agreed to extend the suspension and to appoint a seven-nation committee, headed by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, to monitor developments in Zimbabwe and report back.

“The key issues are political dialogue between (ruling party) Zanu-PF and the opposition and human rights,” the Zambian source said.

The Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe early last year on the grounds that President Robert Mugabe had rigged his re-election and persecuted his opponents.

The Zambian source said the committee would not have to wait until the next summit in two years to report any progress.

The source said: “The chairman in consultation with the six wise men can recommend Zimbabwe’s return before that.”

In Harare, ZANU-PF party said it had already decided it wanted to leave the Commonwealth. A final decision would be taken by a cabinet vote.

“We have already made a decision that we were leaving the Commonwealth,” ZANU-PF external affairs secretary Didymus Mutasa told Reuters.

A defiant Mr Mugabe, too, has threatened to leave the group, accusing it of being hijacked by “racist” Westerners led by Britain.

The 79-year-old Mr Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, has sympathy from a small but powerful group of southern African nations which have lobbied for his country’s readmission at the Abuja summit.

Mr Mugabe accused Britain and other “Anglo-Saxon” countries of punishing him for land reforms that have given white-owned farms to landless blacks. His argument finds resonance with many other African leaders whose political lives started in the fight against British imperialism.—Reuters