Ghana was one of a three African countries that voted in support of extending the suspension of Zimbabwe from the commonwealth of nation on Sunday night.
After the 54-nation grouping resolved to extend sanctions against Robert Mugabe's government for violating the group's democratic values, Zimbabwe quit the Commonwealth in dramatic fashion.
Mugabe told leaders of Jamaica, Nigeria and South Africa that he did not accept a Commonwealth decision to prolong Zimbabwe's suspension from the group until the country mended its ways.
"Accordingly, Zimbabwe has withdrawn its membership from the Commonwealth with immediate effect," said a government statement.
The statement, as reported last night by Reuters, said the three leaders called Mugabe in order to try to persuade him not to quit, but Mugabe was adamant that there was no point in Harare remaining.
It said Mugabe had told them: "Anything that you agree on Zimbabwe which is short of this position [ending suspension], no matter how sweetly worded, means Zimbabwe is still a subject of the Commonwealth. This is unacceptable. This is it -- it's quits, and quits it will be."
Mugabe, who was not invited to the weekend summit at which the subject of Zimbabwe dominated, had vowed earlier last week to quit the grouping, which he described as an "Anglo-Saxon unholy alliance".
Zimbabwe was first suspended from the Commonwealth in March 2002, after Mugabe was denounced for rigging his own re-election and persecuting opponents. The issue had threatened to split the Commonwealth along racial lines, but the body managed to forge a compromise at its Nigeria summit, appointing a seven-nation panel to monitor Zimbabwe's progress towards improved democratic values.
In a display of regional solidarity, the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, had argued that Zimbabwe's continued suspension was proving counter-productive and should be lifted immediately.
He eventually bowed to the majority view, though only after Tony Blair appeared to exert pressure on the South African leader to give way by allowing officials to identify publicly who was blocking a deal.
Commonwealth heads had hoped the Zimbabwe issue could be resolved quickly, to prevent the summit's important agenda on development, world trade and the HIV/Aids crisis being hijacked.
To break the deadlock, a six-strong committee of Commonwealth "wise men" was established, but they split 4-2 on the search for a consensus.
Blair last night told Sky News: "I think it is a shame that it has dominated the conference to such an extent. On the other hand, I think it indicates the degree to which what the Commonwealth says matters in respect of Zimbabwe."
On the third frustrating day of talks, Mbeki, with some support from Mozambique, was holding out against the dominant view of the 52 heads of government that pressure on Harare must be maintained until progress is evident.
South Africa believes that Zimbabwe is the victim of double standards that have seen Pakistan, also suspended since the Musharraf military coup, treated more lightly because of its importance to the US-led war on terrorism.
Mr Blair repeatedly claimed: "This isn't a black-white issue", pointing to support for the majority line from Kenya, Ghana, Gambia and the Carribean. He argued that Pakistan was making progress while Zimbabwe was "getting worse".
But 10 African states backed Pretoria's position in what amounted to a "proxy" show of strength when the Commonwealth's secretary general, Don McKinnon, a hardliner on Zimbabwe, won re-election for a second four-year term by only 42 votes to 10.
The breakthrough appeared to come yesterday afternoon when the group of six -- South Africa, Mozambique, Canada, Australia, the Nigerian hosts and Jamaica -- reported back to the main summit
Ghana was one of a three African countries that voted in support of extending the suspension of Zimbabwe from the commonwealth of nation on Sunday night.
After the 54-nation grouping resolved to extend sanctions against Robert Mugabe's government for violating the group's democratic values, Zimbabwe quit the Commonwealth in dramatic fashion.
Mugabe told leaders of Jamaica, Nigeria and South Africa that he did not accept a Commonwealth decision to prolong Zimbabwe's suspension from the group until the country mended its ways.
"Accordingly, Zimbabwe has withdrawn its membership from the Commonwealth with immediate effect," said a government statement.
The statement, as reported last night by Reuters, said the three leaders called Mugabe in order to try to persuade him not to quit, but Mugabe was adamant that there was no point in Harare remaining.
It said Mugabe had told them: "Anything that you agree on Zimbabwe which is short of this position [ending suspension], no matter how sweetly worded, means Zimbabwe is still a subject of the Commonwealth. This is unacceptable. This is it -- it's quits, and quits it will be."
Mugabe, who was not invited to the weekend summit at which the subject of Zimbabwe dominated, had vowed earlier last week to quit the grouping, which he described as an "Anglo-Saxon unholy alliance".
Zimbabwe was first suspended from the Commonwealth in March 2002, after Mugabe was denounced for rigging his own re-election and persecuting opponents. The issue had threatened to split the Commonwealth along racial lines, but the body managed to forge a compromise at its Nigeria summit, appointing a seven-nation panel to monitor Zimbabwe's progress towards improved democratic values.
In a display of regional solidarity, the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, had argued that Zimbabwe's continued suspension was proving counter-productive and should be lifted immediately.
He eventually bowed to the majority view, though only after Tony Blair appeared to exert pressure on the South African leader to give way by allowing officials to identify publicly who was blocking a deal.
Commonwealth heads had hoped the Zimbabwe issue could be resolved quickly, to prevent the summit's important agenda on development, world trade and the HIV/Aids crisis being hijacked.
To break the deadlock, a six-strong committee of Commonwealth "wise men" was established, but they split 4-2 on the search for a consensus.
Blair last night told Sky News: "I think it is a shame that it has dominated the conference to such an extent. On the other hand, I think it indicates the degree to which what the Commonwealth says matters in respect of Zimbabwe."
On the third frustrating day of talks, Mbeki, with some support from Mozambique, was holding out against the dominant view of the 52 heads of government that pressure on Harare must be maintained until progress is evident.
South Africa believes that Zimbabwe is the victim of double standards that have seen Pakistan, also suspended since the Musharraf military coup, treated more lightly because of its importance to the US-led war on terrorism.
Mr Blair repeatedly claimed: "This isn't a black-white issue", pointing to support for the majority line from Kenya, Ghana, Gambia and the Carribean. He argued that Pakistan was making progress while Zimbabwe was "getting worse".
But 10 African states backed Pretoria's position in what amounted to a "proxy" show of strength when the Commonwealth's secretary general, Don McKinnon, a hardliner on Zimbabwe, won re-election for a second four-year term by only 42 votes to 10.
The breakthrough appeared to come yesterday afternoon when the group of six -- South Africa, Mozambique, Canada, Australia, the Nigerian hosts and Jamaica -- reported back to the main summit
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