Mbeki a Disgrace, Yet Again

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki's legacy is a disgraceful one.
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With his crackpot denial that HIV causes AIDS, his appointment of a health minister who recommended beets and garlic garlic as treatment for South Africa's more than 5 million HIV infected citizens, his corrupt government, his incomprehensible support of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his refusal to use South Africa's leverage to halt the horrors in Zimbabwe, former South African President Thabo Mbeki's legacy is a disgraceful one.

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mbeki now heads an African Union panel set up in January 2009. It's composed of current and former African officials and it is tasked with helping to bring peace to war ravaged Darfur. It is also charged with investigating the atrocities committed in Darfur and advising the African Union on how to deal with perpetrators. They will issue a report of their findings in July. Today Mbeki announced that the panel will not consider any of the evidence compiled by the International Criminal Court.

On March 4 the ICC announced an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, torture and the forced displacement of millions in the Darfur region of Sudan.

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