Morgan Tsvangirai's withdrawal from the presidential runoff scheduled for Friday secured for Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe a Pyrrhic victory.
Mugabe's triumph comes at a huge cost to democracy and stability in Zimbabwe, and the region. The actions of the Mugabe regime in the runup to Tsvangirai's decision demand a strong regional response to what is clearly a stolen victory.
Indeed, Mugabe's continuing in power represents the most serious challenge to Africa's nascent democratic institutions and to South Africa's vision of a continent of peace and prosperity.