Letters
Tribalism
Sir: I don't think it will do for Richard West (12 March) to project the tribal con- flict in Zimbabwe as a product of the geographic conditions of the civil war.
Outsiders have always tended to overlook or play down two aspects of African politics which are cardinal to the African view of things; their politics have always been em- phatically tribal and local. A person's tribal identity was, and still largely is, the pivot of his identity and his place in the world at large, and his politics were primarily the
Politics of his village within the tribal struc- ture.
Tribalism is not just a factor to be reckoned with (and disposed of). One might almost say Africa is tribalism, and the con- tinent will never know peace, stability or freedom until its governments are again in tribal hands — in whatever modernised and democratised forms they may assume. When that erstwhile Fabian, Dr David Owen, was Britain's Foreign Secretary and seeking to negotiate an end to the Rhode- sian war, I warned him that peace could on- ly be obtained on the basis of some kind of tribal, albeit federal, division of the coun- try. I recall he laughed in my face. Now that Zimbabwe is in the throes of a renewed civil War may one appeal to Mr Mugabe serious- ly to consider this option, whilst there is time and whilst he still retains some semblance of control over events?
Revd John Papworth
24 Abercorn Place, London NW8
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