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US hands over proof of violence to Mugabe's govt
Cuthbert Nzou, ZimOnline
May 01, 2008

http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=3106

Harare - The United States (US) has forwarded evidence of state-sponsored political violence and human rights abuses to Zimbabwe's government, amid claims by the opposition that state security agents and pro-government militias murdered 20 of its supporters in April.

US Ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee told journalists in Harare that the embassy handed a dossier containing pictures of supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party assaulted by state agents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

McGee said: "We have handed over evidence of violence to the government. There are pictures of assaulted people and there are affidavits from the victims narrating what happened to them. It's sad that Zimbabwe's political crisis has now turned into a human rights crisis. There is need for international intervention."

Washington's top diplomat in Harare declined to specify how the international community could intervene in Zimbabwe, saying it was up to the United Nations (UN) to decide how to get involved in the troubled southern African nation.

Zimbabwe, also facing its worst economic recession and food shortages, plunged deeper into political crisis after electoral authorities withheld results of a March 29 presidential election that independent observers say Mugabe lost to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, although they say a second round ballot is required to settle the contest.

The MDC insists Tsvangirai won the vote outright and accuses the government of holding on to results to allow state security agents and militants of Mugabe's ZANU PF party more time to terrorize voters and cow them to back the 84-year old President in the anticipated run-off election.

The UN Security Council failed on Tuesday to agree on how to respond to the Zimbabwe's post election crisis that the MDC and churches have warned could easily slide into genocide of the scale seen in Rwanda.

Western countries led by Zimbabwe's former colonial power, Britain, had wanted the council to adopt a common strategy on the worsening situation, including possibly sending a special envoy to probe violence and human rights abuses committed by state agents against opposition supporters.

However, council president South Africa supported by Russia and China opposed the move to leave the 15-member Security Council split and virtually paralyzed on the matter, as Mugabe's government gloated on the lack of UN action which it interpreted as a diplomatic victory.

But McGee hinted that Washington - which has maintained visa and financial sanctions against Mugabe and his top lieutenants since 2002 - could widen and tighten the punitive measures to force the Harare administration to uphold human rights.

Zimbabwe foreign affairs permanent secretary Joey Bimha on Wednesday declined to comment on the US claims of violence. "We have no comment," he said.

A fortnight ago, the Zimbabwe government challenged anyone with evidence of political violence to submit it in order that law enforcement agencies could act.

McGee said the US embassy forwarded the dossier on violence in response to the government's call. "We have given them the evidence. It is up to the government to give us evidence that there is no violence against the opposition," he said. "Out of the over 500 cases recorded, only one was allegedly perpetrated by the opposition."

Meanwhile, the MDC has said state agents and ZANU PF militia have stepped violence against the opposition party's supporters with at least 20 killed as of Tuesday this week.

The MDC had previously claimed that 10 of its supporters were killed and 3000 displaced from their homes in political violence since the elections.

The opposition party claimed that ZANU PF militia and soldiers killed five of its activists this week alone.

The MDC said in a statement: "Tabitha Marume of Makoni West in Manicaland province was shot and killed by soldiers at Chiwetu Rest Camp. Percy Muchiwa, a teacher in Guruve was on Monday beaten to death by ZANU PF supporters in Bakasa area.

"Tenos Manyimo and Bigboy Zhuwawo both of Mbire in Mashonaland Central province died on Sunday when they were seriously attacked by ZANU PF militia for being MDC supporters."

The party claimed that in another brutal act of force in Shurugwi, Midlands province, Clemence Dube of Poshayi Village in ward 12, was killed after ZANU PF supporters and war veterans assaulted him on April 28.

The body of Dube, who was an MDC polling agent, had since been ferried to Bulawayo for a post mortem, the opposition party said.

The MDC said thousands more of its supporters had been displaced in the violence while hundreds are others were in hospitals across the country receiving treatment for injuries suffered at the hands of ZANU PF militia and state security forces.

Politically motivated violence and human rights abuses erupted in parts of Zimbabwe almost immediately after the MDC defeated ZANU PF in the parliamentary poll.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has not announced results of a parallel presidential ballot but was expected to meet candidates in the poll or their agents on Thursday to discuss results before making them public.

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