The dispatch of a high-level European Union delegation to Zimbabwe at the weekend was a calculated risk that was well worth taking. It provided an important signal of support for Morgan Tsvangirai, the embattled prime minister, in his valiant efforts to share power with President Robert Mugabe and reverse decades of political repression and economic incompetence.

Yet the international dilemma remains: how can more assistance be given to rescue the country from bankruptcy as long as Mr Mugabe and his political cronies keep control of the security apparatus and continue to persecute their opponents?