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Zimbabwe presents overdue human rights report to AU Commission
Blessing Zulu, Voice of America (VOA)
May 21, 2007

http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/Zimbabwe/2007-05-21-voa48.cfm

Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa of Zimbabwe, presented his long awaited human rights report Sunday, to the 41st Session of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights, taking place in Accra, Ghana.

This was the first time in 8 years that Harare presented its report, which is supposed to be presented after every two years.

In his presentation, Chinamasa reiterated Zimbabwe's position that western countries have incorrectly accused Zimbabwe of human rights abuses, because they opposed its 2000 land reform program, and as a result have imposed "illegal sanctions" on Harare.

The European union (EU), Australia and other western governments, including the United States, have consistently accused Zimbabwe of human rights abuses, and imposed targeted sanctions on top government and ZANU-PF party officials, including President Robert Mugabe, in hopes of pressuring the government to end the abuses.

The targeted sanctions include travel bans against the named officials to Europe, the United States and Australia, and also the freezing of foreign assets of senior members of the Zimbabwean government and the ruling party.

Chinamasa, who led the government delegation, also reportedly threatened to use "proportionate force" against non-governmental organizations, which Zimbabwe has accused of working with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, London and Washington, to topple the government.

Some of Zimbabwe's civic groups attending the summit, refused to participate in some of the scheduled sessions saying, following Chinamasa's threats. The justice minister is said to have refused to guarantee the NGO's safety, when asked to do so by some civic groups and AU commissioners.

Legal Advisor Wilbert Mandinde of the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, told reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe, that the ten NGO's who attended the two-week summit, now fear for their lives.

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