He said it is imperative that Zimbabwe hold free and fair elections. “Zimbabwe has an opportunity to set itself on a new path: one that must include democratic elections and respect for human rights,” Tillerson said. Despite his arrest, Zimbabwe’s military took pains to show respect for the 93-year-old leader by referring to him as the president and the commander in chief. All three actively sought to isolate Mugabe and his ruling clique for increasing human rights abuses, hoping to encourage a democratic transition. U.N. envoy Nikki Haley mentioned Zimbabwe and Mugabe in a June speech but her critique was focused excoriating the U.N. Human Rights Council for failing to address despotic regimes in general.

Source: National Post November 17, 2017 14:58 UTC