President Emmerson Mnangagwa has launched a diplomatic
offensive in an effort to tell his side of the story in the face of global
condemnation sparked by the deadly clampdown by the army in the aftermath of
the January 14 protests against steep fuel price increases.
According to his spokesperson George Charamba, the Zanu PF
leader was forced to skip his so-called “Thank You” rally scheduled for Mt
Darwin in order to apprise regional leaders about the situation in Zimbabwe
ahead of an Africa Union Summit set for Ethiopia in a few days’ time.
Charamba said Mnangagwa had also sent special envoys to
neighbouring countries to brief their governments about the crisis.
“His Excellency the President, Cde ED Mnangagwa, today,
Saturday, spent the day at his Munhumutapa offices from where he made contact
with a number of heads of state and government from the region and continent,”
Charamba said in a statement.
“The prime objective was for him to brief his colleagues on
the situation obtaining in the country following opposition-instigated violent
demonstrations which affected the country two weeks ago.
“He also received reports from returning special envoys he
had despatched to selected countries in the region and on the African continent
for the same mission.”
US top diplomat for Africa Tibor Nagy said Washington was
“deeply” concerned about the events in Zimbabwe and the UN’s local office said
it was worried about “trails of destruction, looting, mass arrests and
detentions” that followed the protests.
“The US is deeply concerned about continued reports of
human rights violations in Zimbabwe,” Nagy tweeted.
“We call on the government to respect human rights, hold
accountable those responsible for human rights violations and immediately end
all violence by government forces.”
Mnangagwa had earlier in the week accused Western countries
of fuelling the violence.
Soldiers are accused of raping more than 12 women since the
clampdown began and over 1 000 people were arrested for various offences
allegedly committed during the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions-organised mass
stayaway.
The MDC led by Nelson Chamisa says its officials have
become targets of abductions by soldiers who make regular raids at people’s
homes in the dead of the night.
Police and the army last week issued a statement claiming
that impostors were behind the human rights violations.
However, government officials, including Mnangagwa and
Agriculture minister Perrance Shiri, have defended the clampdown claiming the
opposition posed a security risk.
While regional leaders have remained mum about the
situation in Zimbabwe, South African opposition leader Mmusi Maimane has
demanded a meeting with Mnangagwa this week to discuss the clampdown against
the opposition.
Maimane told The Standard in an exclusive interview that
his party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), and Southern African Partnership for
Democratic Change, a coalition of opposition parties in the Southern African
Development Community, which he leads, were filling a void left by regional
leaders due to their refusal to intervene in Zimbabwe.
The DA has threatened to take Mnangagwa to the
International Criminal Court over the killings. Standard
0 comments:
Post a Comment