Thursday, 17 April 2008

Dear Friends


Yesterday, 16.4.08 the Secretary -General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon voiced serious concern about Zimbabwe in remarks made at the Security Council High-Level Meeting on Peace and Security in Africa . He said that “The credibility of the democratic process in Africa could be at stake here. If there is a second round of elections, they must be conducted in a fair and transparent manner, with international observers. I urge the leaders of the Southern African Development Community to continue their efforts. The United Nations stands ready to provide assistance in this regard”. The full text of his speech is available via the following link: http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=218 Several countries expressed their support for the Secretary General’s concerns including Belgium, Costa Rica, Croatia, Italy, Panama, Senegal, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States A report can be found at http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/sc9301.doc.htm
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network issued the attached statement dated 16.04.08 about the targeting of local observers. ZESN has received reports of its observers being harassed, threatened and assaulted, particularly in Mashonaland East and West provinces.
Our member organisation the Media Institute for Southern Africa released two Media Alerts which we attach here. The first, dated 17.4.08, concerns the application by the lawyer of freelance journalist, Frank Chikowore, for an urgent application to compel police to take him to hospital. The second, dated 16.4.08 concerns the release of two foreign journalists.
Also in Zimbabwe , the Students Solidarity Trust (SST) has today; 17.04.08; issued the attached Solid Alert about the arrest of ten students in Bulawayo for demanding the election results.
We attach an update from the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition issued an update yesterday 16.4.08 about the increase in arrests. Crisis says that since the MDC led national stay away on 15.4.08 more than 35 MDC supporters, journalists and human rights activists have been arrested including one of the newly elected MP’s.
The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) has recently issued an open letter to SADC and the African Heads of State and Government expressing their strong disappointment that the results of the elections have not yet been released. The letter says ‘that our regional respective heads of state and government now remain silent, in the face of increasingly obvious and sustained attempts to subvert the results of those elections, fails not only the Zimbabwean people, but also the continental and regional institutions and initiatives in which our respective countries have so heavily invested’. Read more OSISA website at on http://www.osisa.org/node/11083
From South Africa , the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) issued the attached Urgent Security Alert on 16.4.08. ZEF says incidents of xenophobic attacks on Zimbabweans and foreigners are rife and the situation in spiralling out of control. ZEF calls for an emergency meeting with the South African Minister of State Security and the Minister of Home Affairs to discuss the escalating victimisation of Zimbabweans in South Africa . ZEF believes that President Mbeki is sending the wrong signal to the citizens of South Africa by stating that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe .

In the light of recent press reports about the attempted shipment of guns from China into Zimbabwe via the port of Durban in South Africa, the International Action Network on Small Arms, (IANSA), issued the attached statement yesterday, 16.4.08 expressing the view that there is a ‘strong likelihood that such arms will be used in Zimbabwe at this turbulent time to contribute to the violent attacks on civilians and the abuse of fundamental human rights including the suppression of democracy’. IANSA call on the South African government to immediately prevent any transhipment of arms to Zimbabwe .

South African law states that the South African Government must avoid authorising arms transfers, including in transit that would contribute to internal repression including the systematic violation or suppression of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The law also requires all conveyance of weapons and munitions in transit through South African territory to seek a prior permit from the South African government. Thus, permitting the transport of these weapons and munitions over South African territory without a valid permit issued in accordance with South African law would be a serious breach of the law. In terms of the National Conventional Arms Control Act (2002), which determines the export and transit of arms to other countries, the government can, according to the Act, cancel a permit in terms of Section 14 (3)(d) and is obliged to "avoid" certain authorisations "on a case by case basis" under Section 15.

From Canada , a Zimbabwean Inter-Agency Reference Group including Amnesty International , Oxfam Canada , the Canadian Labour Congress and several others, have issued a statement of solidarity and concern for the people of Zimbabwe and the deteriorating political and economic situation. Find their statement attached here.

Tomorrow, April 18th is Zimbabwe Independence Day marking 28 years since Zimbabwe gained its independence and President Robert Mugabe was sworn into power. Those of you in London might care to join a peaceful ‘Demonstration for Democracy’ to protest at the failure to release the full results of the election and the growing concerns of vote manipulation and credible reports of renewed violence and intimidation. The demonstration is organised by Action for Southern Africa and will be joined by members of the Zimbabwe Vigil and others concerned about the situation in Zimbabwe . The protest will take place between 12.30 -2.00 pm outside the Zimbabwe Embassy. Further details can be found at. http://actsa.org/page-1312-DemonstrationforDemocracyinZimbabwe.html and on the Zimbabwe Vigil website at http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/index.asp

1 comment:

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