Headline of the week

Here it is: Angola sends 2500 ‘ninjas’ to Zimbabwe

Of course, we’re not talking about trained assasins from feudal Japan, but Angola’s paramilitary police, which are apparently named as such because of their “ferocity and black uniforms.” And the Ninjas are apparently sent on an “exchange program” to reinforce Zimbabwe’s police force (the force was recently 25,000 strong, but has faced mass resignations due to discontent with low pay and poor conditions, not to mention a split as some are even siding with the opposition).

As noted ten days ago, Zimbabwe is a complete mess and plenty of Western powers are being blunt in what they think of Mugabe’s authoritarian regime. But they know their limits, and as Mr. Blair recently said: “the solution to Zimbabwe ultimately will not come simply through the pressure applied by Britain. That pressure has got to be applied within Africa, in particular within the African Union.”

Yet what are the hopes for such proactive pressure when one of Africa’s toughest militaries are sending their quasi-military police force to shore up Mugabe’s hold on power?