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Statement to the Commonwealth
African Civil Society Consultation on Zimbabwe
September 18, 2003

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The participants in the African Civil Society Consultation on Zimbabwe, who met in Gaborone, Botswana, on August 5 and 6, 2003, today call upon the Commonwealth states to ensure the continued suspension of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth. Zimbabwe should remain suspended from this institution until it complies fully with the principles contained in the Harare Declaration of 1991 and takes concrete steps to restore the rule of law, to respect human rights and to hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable.

We, 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, we issued a Concluding Statement, condemning the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe and calling for urgent action to address this crisis.

In light of the upcoming meeting of Commonwealth Heads of State and Government, to be held in Nigeria in December 2003, we reiterate our condemnation of the situation in Zimbabwe and call upon the Commonwealth to continue its suspension of Zimbabwe.

Widespread violations of international human rights standards are being committed in Zimbabwe and until these violations are ended, Zimbabwe remains in contravention of the principles contained in the Harare Declaration of 1991. Moreover, Zimbabwe has failed to comply with the recommendations of the Commonwealth Observer Group, issued on March 15, 2002. Following the recommendations of the Commonwealth Observer Group, Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth on March 19, 2002. Since that time, the government of Zimbabwe has not made any significant efforts to improve the human rights situation or to come into compliance with the Harare Declaration and Commonwealth Observer Group recommendations.

Indeed, the situation in Zimbabwe has steadily deteriorated. Violations of basic human rights are endemic throughout the country, 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.

We therefore urge the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, meeting in New York on September 27, to examine the situation in Zimbabwe and recommend that Zimbabwe remain suspended from the Commonwealth until such time as the government brings an end to the human rights and humanitarian crisis and restores the rule of law. 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.

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