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SADC mediated talks between ZANU (PF) and MDC - Index of articles
MDC
threatens to pull out of talks if violence is not stopped
Tichaona Sibanda, SW Radio Africa
October 09, 2007
http://www.swradioafrica.com/news091007/mdcpulls091007.htm
Sekai Holland, the MDC's
secretary for Research and Policy warned on Tuesday the country's
opposition parties will pull out of the SADC led mediation talks
if violence against it's officials, activists and members
is not stopped.
Speaking in Wellington,
New Zealand, Holland said Zimbabweans are still being beaten and
killed by Robert Mugabe's militias despite the ongoing negotiations
between Zanu-PF and the MDC.
'As I speak today,
another 64-year-old was beaten to death by the same squad that beat
me up. We support the Mbeki initiative ... but if Mugabe continues
to beat our people up we are pulling out of the talks,' said
Holland, who has also been victimised by Zanu-PF's hit squads.
Her statement was backed
by another senior figure of the party, Sam Siphepha Nkomo, secretary
for Home Affairs who admitted that violence has in fact escalated
against supporters of the opposition.
'We have made representations
to President Mbeki about the violence and we have not seen anything
to suggest he has asked his counterpart (Mugabe) to stop the repression,'
Nkomo said.
Nkomo said Mugabe was
in danger of jeopardising the mediation talks by failing to control
his militias and security forces. Thousands of opposition supporters
have fallen prey to Mugabe's brutal security forces and many
more have lost their lives in a political crackdown that now threatens
the talks.
Reacting to MDC's
threats, President Mbeki said he was confident the talks between
the political parties to find a solution to the crisis in that country
were progressing well.
His spokesman Mukoni
Ratshitanga said negotiations were going very well and that there
was a common determination to conclude them as quickly as possible
so as to allow enough time to implement all of the matters that
must be implemented.
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