Joint appeal to SADC Heads summit on the crisis in Zimbabwe.

Written by James

Sunday, 13 April 2008 16:24

Today, 11.4.08, on the eve of the Extraordinary SADC Summit in Lusaka, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum issued a joint statement together with the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and the National Association of NGO's (NANGO) around the imminent danger of violence escalating and the need for urgent action.
The statement concerns the fear, shared with many other Zimbabweans that bloody violence will occur on a large scale during the coming period following the 29 March elections and especially in the coming period leading to the possible run-off elections. It calls on ZANU PF to stop using violence, asks the opposition parties and Zimbabwean people to exercise restraint and calls on the countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to intervene urgently in appropriate ways to persuade all parties, particularly ZANU PF not to use violence in the coming period. The International Community is asked to condemn the use of violence in Zimbabwe for political ends and to take action in the appropriate peace and security frameworks such as the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security of SADC and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the Security Council of the UN with a view to urgent and appropriate international support for SADC interventions.

Amnesty International has expressed serious concern at reports of post-election violence targeting perceived supporters of opposition parties in Zimbabwe. In a Press Release issued late yesterday, 10.4.08, Amnesty International calls for an immediate end to political violence. They note that the attacks appear to be coordinated and that incidents of post election political violence have been reported widely in Harare, Mashonaland East, Midlands, Matabeleland North and Manicaland provinces. Further details can be found on the Amnesty International website at:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/zimbabwe-opposition-under-attack-20080410

From South Africa, we have a post-election statement issued today by EISA; the NGO which promotes credible elections and democratic governance in Southern Africa. EISA's statement follows an interim statement about its regional election observer mission to the 2008 harmonised elections in Zimbabwe. EISA welcomes the SADC initiative to hold an extraordinary summit in Lusaka, Zambia this Saturday 12.4/08 but calls attention to the lack of an announcement about the full result, the lack of transparency by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the unexplained closure of its National Command Centre and the escalating political violence. The full statement can be accessed via the EISA website at:
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20080411.htm

Adding its voice to others addressing the SADC, The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) released the attached message today, 11.4.08 commending the SADC Heads of State for convening an urgent summit to address the turmoil in Zimbabwe. Recalling the recent bloodshed in Kenya WSCF urges SADC to take heed of the voice of the people of Zimbabwe and makes a number of recommendations relating to the recent elections.
In other statements today, we attach a Media Update from our member organisation the Media Institute for Southern Africa, (MISA Zimbabwe) issued today, 11.4.08. It concerns the re- appearance in court once again of the two South African engineers originally arrested on 27 March 2008.
Our member organisations, the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) today released the attached Information Alert with reports received from the provinces of Midlands and Mashonaland Central including alleged threats made against the school children of an opposition MP and his supporters.
From Manicaland in Zimbabwe, The Centre for Research and Development released the attached statement on 9.4.08 about the political violence that flared up outside the province's capital city, Mutare.
Also from Zimbabwe, The Youth Forum issued the attached statement yesterday 10.4.08. The statement alleges that Mugabe is creating conditions for what it describes as a reign of terror whilst retaining his cabinet and embarking on a witch hunt'. The group alleges that its Board Chairperson has been remanded for the 6th time to June 10th without reason.
From Uganda, the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) has today issued an urgent appeal on Zimbabwe which we attach here. FHRI appeals to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to urgently revisit the ideals of the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa set by the guidelines for African Union Electoral Observation and Monitoring Missions 2004. We attach their appeal here for your interest.

Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum

International Liaison Office

International Liaison Office
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
56-64 Leonard Street
London EC2A 4LT
Tel. +44-(0)20-7065 0945
Email:IntLO@hrforumzim.com
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