EU slams Zim government

2003-06-07 13:14

Athens - The European Union has accused Zimbabwe's government of intimidating political opponents after the arrest of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

"The EU is deeply concerned by the arrest of Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of MDC (Movement for Democratic Change)," the EU's Greek presidency said in a statement released late on Friday.

The arrest and subsequent charge for treason shows that President Robert Mugabe's government is "increasing its repressive and intimidating measures against the opposition," the text added.

The EU had earlier urged Mugabe's government to abstain from violence in dealing with mass protests this week which saw hundreds arrested and beaten.

The European bloc called itself a "friend of Zimbabwe," and urged Harare to adopt a "policy of national dialogue and respect for human rights".

It said it would support efforts to that effect, whether they came from Zimbabwe's political parties or from regional powers.

Earlier this week regional powerhouse South Africa urged Zimbabwe's conflicting parties to relaunch talks amid renewed violence, but local media countered that Pretoria lacked the leadership to take decisive action.

Tsvangirai's arrest on Friday was also condemned by the United States.

The opposition leader, 51, was detained at his home and taken to a police station in central Harare on the last day of mass anti-government protests, an official for his MDC party said.

The MDC had set Friday as "D-Day" and called for people to "rise up in your millions" in marches in cities around the country. But scores of ruling party supporters and state security agents in the streets stopped demonstrations from getting off the ground.

The party blames the government for chronic economic hardships and widespread shortages affecting most Zimbabweans. Around 80 percent of the country's 11.6 million people live in poverty, and inflation is officially at 269 percent. - Sapa-AFP

- SAPA