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UN chief tells Zimbabwe’s leaders to resolve election crisis
UNITED NATIONS, United States, Aug 7, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – UN Secretary-
General Antonio Guterres has told Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa
during a telephone conversation that he must rein in his security forces
after six people were killed in election violence, a UN spokesman said
Tuesday.
Guterres also spoke by phone with opposition leader Nelson Chamisa to urge
him to turn to the courts — and not the streets — if he plans to challenge
Mnangagwa’s election victory.
“In his two calls, the secretary-general made clear that he counted on the
president of Zimbabwe to ensure that the security forces show maximum
restraint,” said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.
“He also encouraged the opposition to pursue their electoral grievances
through legal channels.”
Guterres spoke by phone with the leaders on Monday after violence marred
elections that were the first held since Robert Mugabe was forced out of the
presidency last year.
The presidential and parliamentary vote on July 30 was meant to turn the
page on the Mugabe era and bring Zimbabwe back to the international fold
after decades of sanctions.
Electoral results showed Mnangagwa won the presidential vote by a narrow
margin, but the opposition Movement for Democratic (MDC) has accused him of
rigging the result.
The UN spokesman said Guterres wanted to ensure that “all of the
participants in the election will abide by the result and channel any
grievances through the proper electoral process.”
He described the phone conversations as “constructive” and suggested that
both sides had agreed to his appeal to step away from the violence.
“Our hope is that the reassurances provided by the leaders will be borne
out by their supporters,” said Haq.
Six people were killed when soldiers opened fire on demonstrators
protesting the election result.
On Tuesday, 27 MDC supporters were released on bail after being accused of
fomenting election violence.
The European Union, United States, Canada and Switzerland earlier issued a
joint statement calling on Zimbabwe’s defense forces to act with restraint
and protect human rights.
BSS/AFP/MRI/2332 hrs