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Ban pledges to mediate in Zim
01/07/2008 07:24 - (SA)
Tokyo - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pledged on Tuesday to work to mediate the political crisis in Zimbabwe, saying the internationally condemned election had implications for all of Africa.
Ban, in Tokyo on an Asian tour, repeated his view that the violence-marred election that gave veteran leader Robert Mugabe another term lacked legitimacy.
Zimbabweans should be able to "enjoy genuine freedom" so they could "choose their leaders out of their own will without being intimidated", Ban told a news conference.
"You have my full commitment that I will spare no efforts to work out a solution," Ban told a news conference.
Zim crisis 'has great implications'
Ban cited the example of Kenya, where former UN chief Kofi Annan brokered a power-sharing deal that ended weeks of bloodshed after a disputed election in December.
"This can give us some good lessons," Ban said of the Kenya crisis.
"The situation in Zimbabwe has great implications not only to the people and government in Zimbabwe," Ban said, calling it "important to maintain the credibility of democratic rule in Africa as a whole".
Mugabe, 84, was sworn in for a sixth term after being declared the winner of Friday's election run-off. Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, who topped Mugabe in the first round, withdrew citing deadly violence and intimidation.
Ban said the deputy UN chief, Asha-Rose Migiro, and his Zimbabwe envoy, Haile Menkerios, were at the African summit that opened Monday in Egypt and were ready to help mediate on Zimbabwe.
- AFP
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