Back to Index

This article participates on the following special index pages:

African groups puts pressure on Mugabe
Jonathan Katzenellenbogen, Business Day (SA)
June 24, 2005

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/article.aspx?ID=BD4A60356

ABOUT 200 African and international nongovernmental organisations issued an appeal yesterday to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) to put pressure on the Zimbabwe government to stop human rights and other abuses. While the joint statement by the 200 suggests an increasing ability by African civil society to join together, governments have so far stood fast in their resolve to refrain from criticising President Robert Mugabe's administration. AU leaders will face a test at a summit at month-end of whether to maintain their stance in face of ongoing evictions of informal settlers and traders in urban areas.

Hassen Lorgat, media official of the Zimbabwe Solidarity and Consultation Forum, said in Johannesburg the organisations wanted, "to establish a front-line coalition" against Zimbabwe. "If our government remains silent, they will negate the very struggle we have won," he said. The groups, including Amnesty International in SA and London, have written to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, the current AU chairman, asking for Zimbabwe to be placed on the agenda of the AU summit later this month.

Among those calling for pressure are nongovernmental organisations from 23 African countries. Nigerian and South African groups are the largest number in the coalition, but Namibian, Zimbabwean and Zambian groups are also represented. In a statement yesterday, the organisations called for UN and AU pressure on Zimbabwe to halt the campaign of evictions of people living in informal housing and street traders.

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP