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African civil society groups call for continued Commonwealth suspension of Zimbabwe
African Civil Society Consultation on Zimbabwe
September 18, 2003

Read the statement to the Commonwealth

The participants in the African Civil Society Consultation on Zimbabwe, a meeting of civil society groups from Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia and Kenya that was held in Gaborone, Botswana, on August 5 and 6, 2003, this week renewed their call for the continued suspension of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth. In a statement issued in advance of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meeting, which will take place in New York on September 27, the participants in the Botswana Consultation condemned the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe and demanded that Zimbabwe remain suspended from the Commonwealth until its government takes concrete steps to bring an end to this crisis.

The participants in the African Civil Society Consultation on Zimbabwe represent over thirty civil society groups from Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Malawi, Zambia and Kenya. Following a two-day meeting held in Botswana, on August 5 and 6, 2003, they issued a Concluding Statement, condemning the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe and calling for national, regional and international action to address this crisis.

In their statement addressed to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group and the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government, the participants in the Botswana Consultation reiterated their condemnation of the situation in Zimbabwe and called upon the Commonwealth to continue its suspension of Zimbabwe. They cited widespread violations of international human rights standards, in contravention of the principles contained in the Harare Declaration of 1991 and the recommendations of the Commonwealth Observer Group, issued on March 15, 2002, in support of their call. Following the recommendations of the Commonwealth Observer Group, Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth on March 19, 2002.

In their statement, the participants stated that "violations of basic human rights are endemic throughout [Zimbabwe], including torture, denial of food, arbitrary detention, attacks on human rights defenders, muzzling of the independent press, systematic violence against women and the forceful indoctrination and abuse of youth through a government youth training programme." In addition, they noted that "rumours of political talks between the government and opposition parties are not sufficient to justify the lifting of Zimbabwe's suspension, but rather real improvements in the human rights situation in the country must be demonstrated."

For more information contact:
Alice Mogwe +267 390 7778, alice.ditsh@info.bw
Lorna Davidson +1 212 845 5251, davidsonl@lchr.org

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