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Zimbabwe:
Human rights and civic groups call for African leadership to address
human rights and humanitarian crisis
Amnesty International
AI Index: AFR 46/031/2005 (Public)
News Service No: 306
November 16, 2005
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR460312005?open&of=ENG-ZWE
Today, a coalition
of human rights and civic organizations across Africa issued a Joint
Appeal on Zimbabwe, sending letters to their Heads of State
calling for African leaders and the African Union (AU) to address
the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe.
Today's mass
letter writing appeal highlights the ongoing human rights and humanitarian
crisis in the country and the failure of African States and the
AU to address the situation in any meaningful way.
The organizations
also sent letters to President Obasanjo of Nigeria, as Chair of
the African Union, and to President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
"The silence
of African leaders on Zimbabwe represents a failure to honour their
commitments to the human rights of ordinary Africans," said
a coalition spokesperson. "Hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans
have seen their homes demolished. Now desperate displaced and homeless
people are being denied the aid they so badly need - and forced
evictions and demolitions continue to take place. When the United
Nations Secretary-General calls the situation a 'catastrophic injustice',
the African Union cannot continue to remain silent," continued
the spokesperson.
Today's
letter writing action is also supported by human rights and non-governmental
organizations in Asia, Latin America and Europe, many of whom work
on the right to housing and shelter, and are appalled by the Zimbabwean
government's programme of mass evictions and demolition of homes.
Today these organisations also sent the Joint Appeal to their Heads
of State and to President Mugabe.
Amongst the
calls made by the coalition are for AU action to ensure Zimbabweans
can receive humanitarian aid denied them by their government and
for the AU to address the human rights situation in Zimbabwe at
the Summit of its Assembly of Heads of State and Government in January
2006.
The Joint Appeal
coalition includes Zimbabwean organizations, led by Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights. International groups supporting the action include
the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, Amnesty International,
Human Rights Watch, the International Bar Association's Human
Rights Institute and international coalitions including the Housing
and Land Rights Network -- Habitat International Coalition, CIVICUS
World Alliance for Citizen Participation and the Latin American
coalition Connectas.
For interviews
with coalition members please contact:
- Amnesty International
- Audrey Gaughran & Simeon Mawanza, London, +44 (0)
20 74135597
- Centre on
Housing Rights and Evictions -- Jean du Plessis, South Africa,
+27 82 55 5563 and Mawuse Anyidoho, Ghana +233 21 238821
- Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights - Otto Saki, Zimbabwe, +263 91
257 247
- Habitat
International Coalition -- Joseph Schechla, Egypt, +20 (0)2 347-4360
- Human Rights
Watch -- Tiseke Kasambala, London, +44 (0)20 7713 1995
- International
Bar Association's Human Rights Institute, Gugulethu Moyo, London,
+ 44 (0)20 7691 6868
AND
- In South
Africa
The Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum - Pamela Masiko or Richard Smith,
+27 (0)11 403 5650
- In Nigeria
Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), + 234 1 493 5680
- In Namibia
Legal Assistance Centre, Norman Tjombe, + 264 (0)61 223356
See also: A
Joint Appeal to African Leaders to address the human rights situation
in Zimbabwe (AI Index: AFR 46/030/2005)
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