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Armed police disperse FEMNET staff & activists from Zimbabwe
High Commission in Nairobi
FEMNET
August 26, 2008
Officials from the Zimbabwe
High Commission this morning barred African Women's Development
and Communication Network (FEMNET) from delivering a letter of solidarity
with the women of Zimbabwe.
While at the Zimbabwe
High Commission, an official came to the gate to meet the FEMNET
staff and activists from Men for Gender Equality Now (MEGEN) and
assured them he was going to make arrangements for the letter to
be officially delivered to authorities inside the offices. However,
after waiting for over 1hour, 2 plain clothed police officers came
to inform the group that Zimbabwe High Commission had called them,
informing them that there was a huge demonstration outside the offices.
The two plain clothed
police officers admitted that they were alarmed by the High Commission
official, who called them saying that the demonstration was not
as big as the Embassy had put it to them.
However, before the plain
officers finished questioning FEMNET Executive Director, Norah Matovu-Winyi,
armed uniformed policemen arrived at the scene and ordered the FEMNET
staff and the activists to disperse in 2 minutes.
FEMNET is disappointed
that even after giving a three weeks notice to the police about
the protest, the official permit to conduct the peaceful protest
march to the Zimbabwe High Commission was still not granted. Police
instead claimed that they had lost a copy of the application letter.
Police demanded a photocopy of the application letter bearing their
stamp. The copy was availed to them in good time, but still the
permit was not granted.
FEMNET strongly condemns
the acts by police to curtail the solidarity action with the Zimbabwe
women.
FEMNET also condemns
in the strongest terms the Zimbabwe High Commission Officials for
misinforming the police about the magnitude of the peaceful protest.
We also condemn the Zimbabwe
High Commission for not opening the gate to enable FEMNET deliver
the open letter addressed to Mr. Mugabe.
FEMNET believes that
the action to protest was justified in upholding the UN Declaration
on Human Rights. According to Article 1 of the UN Declaration on
Human Rights, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations
on December 9, 1998, "everyone has the right, individually
and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the
protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms
at the national and international levels".
FEMNET will continue
to condemn the suffering of women and children in Zimbabwe who have
been victimized for no apparent reason or cause.
The current problems
in Zimbabwe are aggravating violence against women especially sexual
exploitation.
We appeal to President
Robert Mugabe to honour and listen to the demands of people in Zimbabwe.
FEMNET sees the on-going peace talks as our hope for Zimbabwe to
get back on track.
We therefore appeal to
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Mr. Robert Mugabe to expedite the
process of power sharing in Zimbabwe.
Norah Matovu-Winyi
Executive Director
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