Tutu calls for Zim arms ban
24/04/2008 20:33  - (SA)  

Insulting Mugabe no help - Zuma Arms ship to return to China 'Must we send the army to Zim?' Mbeki urged to reach out to Zim Zim arms: US pleads with China DA to ask China for arms ban Arms shipment may be recalled Zim arms meant to 'butcher' US tries to halt arms shipment

Cape Town - Nobel peace prize winner Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu called on Thursday for an arms embargo on Zimbabwe in order to avert the escalation of violence in the troubled nation.

Tutu, a hero of the anti-apartheid movement, appealed to world leaders to use the United Nations to stop the supply of weapons to Zimbabwe, which is in a political crisis after last month's disputed elections.

"I join the worldwide calls to stop the supply of weapons to the country - by land, sea or air - until the political crisis is resolved," said Tutu.

A long-standing critic of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Tutu said the UN should agree on a binding arms embargo on Zimbabwe after a Chinese-owned ship was forced to abandon a planned delivery of weapons to the Harare regime.

Violence is growing

"It is obvious that supplying large quantities of arms at this stage would risk escalating the violence, perhaps resulting in the large-scale loss of life," said the former archbishop.

Tutu said violence was growing in Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the elections.

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), claims to have toppled 84-year-old Mugabe in the March 29 polls even though results from the contest have yet to be announced.

 

 Yahoo

 

 Digg

 Del.icio.us

 Facebook

What is this?

 News24 on mobile

 News24 on facebook profile