Mugabe quits Commonwealth

The Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe in March 2002 in response to Mugabe's rigging of elections and continued persecution of his political opponents, and discussion of whether to extend sanctions and the political fallout therefrom has dominated the Nigeria summit.

In many ways, the debate that has been raging in Abuja, culminating in Mugabe's decision to pull out, demonstrates the tensions within the Commonwealth which suggest its growing irrelevance as a political grouping.

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The spat over Zimbabwe has threatened to split the Commonwealth along north-south and black-white lines, and the body's inability to resolve the Zimbabwe situation is a troubling indication of division.

Ten African countries led by South Africa continue to maintain that the member states were unable to come to consensus on the thorny issue of Zimbabwe's reinstatement was a bad sign of the divisions that exist within the body.

The Commonwealth's inability to resolve differences between member states raises the question of its continued relevance, and whether the grouping together of countries that were once part of the British empire has any utility in today's world.

The summit was intended to focus on issues such as development, world trade, and the AIDS crisis that are of paramount importance to the member states. Indeed, by providing a forum to debate these issues and work towards joint solutions, the organization has much to potentially offer its member states. However, the current imbroglio reminds us that the Commonwealth is a long way from fulfilling its potential as an effectual and influential bloc.