Leaders from 16 southern African nations gather in Zimbabwe on Saturday for a summit that may address the continent’s mpox outbreaks amid international concerns over the host country’s human rights record.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting follows the World Health Organization’s declaration of mpox outbreaks in Africa as a global health emergency. The Democratic Republic of Congo, an SADC member, accounts for over 90% of mpox cases on the continent.
Scientists have identified a potentially more infectious form of mpox in Congo, raising fears of cross-border spread. Sweden recently reported its first case of this new variant.
South Africa’s Democratic Alliance party has urged its country’s delegates to raise the mpox issue at the summit, noting the disease’s potential for rapid spread.
As leaders arrived in Harare, the United Nations and human rights groups criticized Zimbabwe’s government for an alleged political crackdown. Over 160 activists and opposition members have been arrested in recent months.
The U.N.’s human rights office on Thursday called for the release of dozens of jailed activists and opposition members. It reported that three recently arrested activists were “subjected to enforced disappearance, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including waterboarding.”
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported that many of those arrested, including a mother and her 1-year-old baby, have been held in pretrial detention for weeks.
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to assume SADC’s rotating leadership. Despite the allegations of human rights abuses, there has been little pressure from neighboring SADC countries on his administration.
In preparation for the summit, Zimbabwe has made cosmetic improvements to Harare, including road repairs and promises of uninterrupted utilities for delegates, despite frequent blackouts and water cuts for residents.
Political analysts expect regional leaders to avoid confronting Zimbabwe over its rights record during the summit.
AP
