Stating that Robert Mugabe has “declared war by saying that the bullet has replaced the ballot,” Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai has dropped out of Friday’s runoff election. “We can’t ask the people to cast their vote on June 27 when that vote will cost their lives,” Tsvangirai said at a Sunday news conference in Harare. “We will no longer participate in this violent sham of an election.” This came after thousands of militants used violence to keep MDC supporters from attending a campaign rally, and after weeks of the torture and killing of dozens of MDC backers.

Was it the right move? We already know that Mugabe would not have even acknowledged a loss, and promised bloodshed if he did come in second. We also know that Tsvangirai has been in perpetual danger of assassination, as well. And free and fair elections? Not a chance.

So Mugabe will declare himself to be democratically elected in the sham runoff, and the MDC — which has been open to a unity government that included members of the ruling ZANU-PF party excluding Mugabe — will find themselves in even greater danger than before. And once things have been returned to “business as usual” in Zimbabwe, the world’s attention will probably turn away once again, hoping for the aging Mugabe to just slither out of sight one day. I pray that doesn’t happen: Tsvangirai and the other opposition members have sacrificed so much to bring real democracy to Zimbabwe — as well as real attention to the ever-increasing woes of unemployment, hyperinflation, AIDS, and more — that their bravery shouldn’t be in vain.

But will the world (Africa especially) have the chutzpah to stand up to Mugabe — for starters, by not recognizing his “election”?

(Photo by Naashon Zalk/Getty Images)