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Ban: Zim a humanitarian crisis
29/04/2008 21:28 - (SA)
Geneva - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said on Tuesday there is a "serious humanitarian crisis" in Zimbabwe and urged the government to immediately release results of the presidential elections.
"The humanitarian situation is very worrisome. The Zimbabwe government has not released presidential results after four weeks. We know who is the winner. The authorities and President (Robert Mugabe) should release the results immediately," he said.
"Because of the increasing violence and the number of displaced people fleeing their homes to other places, there is a serious humanitarian crisis," added Ban during a forum in Geneva.
Zimbabwe has been in a crisis since the elections, with opposition and rights groups accusing the authorities of launching a campaign of violence to intimidate voters.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has wrested control of parliament from Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party in parliamentary elections held on March 29.
Ban said he has been discussing Zimbabwe with African leaders. He has also met MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who gave what Ban described as a "very worrisome" briefing.
"Therefore, taking this opportunity, I urge the authorities of Zimbabwe to release the election results," he said, adding that he will continue to address the issue in close cooperation with leaders in the region.
Earlier, UN experts expressed grave concern about "organised and coordinated" attacks, including torture, against the country?s opposition members.
Experts said in a joint statement that since the elections, they had received reliable information that people or groups suspected of having supported the opposition party had been subjected to abuses.
"Acts of intimidation, violence and torture are occurring as a form of retribution against, or victimisation" of people or groups suspected to have backed the main opposition MDC, they added.
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