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National
Conference of Black Lawyers blasts U.S. attack on Zimbabwe
The National Coalition of Black
Lawyers is a coaltion of African lawyers. Their stated mission is “to
serve as the legal arm of the movement for Black Liberation, to protect
human rights, to achieve self-determination of Africa and African Communities
in the diaspora and to work in coalition to assist in ending oppression
of all peoples.” The following Spear article is a reproduction of
their statement to expose amd condemn U.S. intervention in Zimbabwe
The National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) condemns in the strongest
terms an Executive Order by George W. Bush that freezes the U.S. assets
of more than 70 officials of the Zimbabwe government.
In a March 7, 2003 Order, Bush invokes the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act to freeze all property and
interests in property” of 77 Zimbabwe government officials. The Order
accuses the targeted officials of politically motivated violence, intimidation,
the undermining of democratic processes and institutions and contributing
to the deliberate breakdown of the rule of law in Zimbabwe. The Order
provides no specific bases for the referenced allegations.
NCBL regards the right to self-determination
as one of the most fundamental of human rights. Article 1, paragraph 2
of the United Nations Charter specifically cites the development of self-determination
as one of the organization’s primary purposes. Toward that end, Article
2, paragraph 7 of the U.N. Charter specifically speaks against the organization
intervening “in matters which are essentially within the domestic
jurisdiction of any state...”
The Bush executive order constitutes
a reckless, provocative, irresponsible act of intervention into affairs
that are strictly within the domestic jurisdiction of Zimbabwe. The targeted
Zimbabwe government officials have all been duly elected or appointed
pursuant to democratic processes that have been subject to scrutiny by
the international community.
In fact, given the undemocratic method by which George W. Bush seized
the U.S. Presidency, any accusations he might make about the undermining
of democratic processes must be dismissed from the outset. To the extent
that there may be any problems with government leadership in Zimbabwe,
it is the right of the people of Zimbabwe to address those problems without
the unsolicited intervention of a lone member of a foreign government.
Finally, NCBL regards as intellectually
dishonest, at best, the Order’s accusation that the actions of the
Zimbabwe officials “constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat
to the foreign policy of the United States,” and that such justifies
the declaration of a U.S. “national emergency.” In the context
of the Bush Administration’s recent fabrication of excuses for all-out
war against Iraq, any time this Administration makes shrill, obsessive,
unsupported condemnations of targeted foreign government officials (such
as those directed at Zimbabwe leaders) there is cause for genuine alarm.
NCBL calls upon all people
of good will to reaffirm Zimbabwe’s right to self-determination,
and to condemn unwarranted U.S. intervention into Zimbabwe’s domestic
affairs. This is particularly important during this period when government
attention should instead be focused on a failing U.S. economy.
NCBL was founded in 1968 to
serve as the legal arm of the movement for Black liberation, to protect
human rights, to achieve self-determination of Africa and African communities
in the Diaspora and to work in coalition to assist in ending oppression
of all peoples.
(Quoted excerpts of this statement
are attributed to Mark P. Fancher, chair of NCBL’s Section on International
Affairs and World Peace.)
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