Zimbabwe applies to rejoin Commonwealth
News & Trends •
foreign secretary boris johnson tweeted monday fantastic news that zimbabwe wishes to rejoin the commonwealth1 zimbabwe has applied to rejoin the commonwealth the group said monday marking a major step in the countrys international re-engagement after robert mugabe was ousted last year1 the commonwealth said it had received a letter dated may 15 from zimbabwean president emmerson mnangagwa applying to re-join1 member countries very much look forward to zimbabwes return when the conditions are right said secretary-general patricia scotland in a statement from london1 zimbabwes eventual return to the commonwealth following a successful membership application would be a momentous occasion1 scotland confirmed that the commonwealth would send observers to elections due in july or august the first polls since mugabe was ousted in november after a brief military takeover1 mugabe was replaced by his former deputy mnangagwa a veteran ruling zanu-pf party loyalist who was backed by senior military officers1 mnangagwa has vowed to hold fair and free elections and has pledged to revive the moribund economy by repairing international ties and attracting foreign investment1 scotland called for a credible peaceful and inclusive election that restores citizens confidence trust and hope in the development and democratic trajectory of their country1 britain said last month that it would strongly support zimbabwe returning to the commonwealth1 mugabe angrily pulled zimbabwe out of the bloc of former british colonies in 2003 after its membership was suspended over violent and graft-ridden elections the previous year1 zimbabwe must now show commitment to commonwealth values of democracy and human rights johnson added1 zimbabwe had fractured relations with the west under mugabe who had held power since independence from britain in 19801 the government in harare was not immediately available to comment1 if readmitted zimbabwe will become the fifth country to re-join the voluntary association of mostly former territories of the british empire after gambia south africa pakistan and fiji1 the gambia re-joined the commonwealth in february this year after the impoverished west african nation was in 2013 suddenly pulled out of the bloc by ex-president yahya jammeh1 the other countries to have quit the organisation are ireland which left in 1949 and the maldives which exited in 20161 the commonwealth brings together 53 countries representing 2.4 billion people under a charter pledging commitment to democracy human rights and rule of law1 the last country to join was rwanda in 20091 the organisation also holds an olympics-style multi-sport event every four years most recently in australias gold coast in april1 zimbabwe left the commonwealth at the height of violent land seizures when white farmers were evicted in favour of landless black people in a policy that wrecked the agriculture sector and triggered national economic collapse1