Zimbabwe's Talks

Robert Mugabe's campaign to stay in power continues by other means.

NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN Zimbabwe's government and opposition broke off yesterday four days after they began, which should have surprised no one who has followed Robert Mugabe's brutal and uncompromising campaign to remain in power. Since the 84-year-old strongman lost a presidential election March 29, his thugs have murdered at least 120 people, including some who were tortured before they died. Villages suspected of supporting the opposition have been looted and burned, and humanitarian groups have been prohibited from distributing food. In agreeing to two weeks of talks, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai obtained a commitment that the violence would end and won the involvement of international mediators who could help ensure that the peace was kept. But even that has not stopped the rampage of government goons in the countryside.

The talks stopped at a predictable point: Mr. Mugabe is refusing to yield power and instead seeks to manipulate Mr. Tsvangirai into accepting a subordinate position in the regime. In that aim, Mr. Mugabe is abetted by the chief broker of the talks, South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has dedicated the waning months of his own tarnished administration to propping up one of Africa's most heinous rulers. With the help of dictator-loving Russia and China, Mr. Mbeki managed to block the U.N. Security Council from approving new sanctions against Mr. Mugabe's government this month. The two cronies no doubt hope they can use the negotiations to further deflect international pressure; if they can co-opt Mr. Tsvangirai, they will have an argument for lifting the Western sanctions now directed at the regime.

Neither Mr. Tsvangirai nor Western governments should allow such a maneuver. The only acceptable outcome of Zimbabwe's political bargaining -- if it resumes -- is a transition to Mr. Mugabe's retirement, the removal of the criminal clique that supports him and the staging of fresh democratic elections. The opposition already has offered to spare Mr. Mugabe and others from prosecution; they could also be allowed to keep some of the assets they have stolen. But until Mr. Mugabe leaves office, the campaign to punish and isolate his regime should continue. The Bush administration and European Union sent the right message last week by approving new sanctions directed at the Mugabe clique. If the suspension of the talks continues, or if the talks fail to produce results in the original two-week time frame, the United States should reopen the debate at the Security Council.