European Commissioner urges Zim party leaders to end violence

By Alex Bell
1 August 2008

The European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel has called on the parties involved in the Zimbabwean leadership negotiations to stick to promises made in the Memorandum of Understanding to “renounce violence and support humanitarian access”.

The MOU signed by Robert Mugabe and the leaders of the two MDC formations, Morgan Tsvangerai and Arthur Mutambara more than a week ago, sets out clear measures supposed to be taken immediately as a condition for talks. These included the end of all politically motivated violence and the immediate lifting of the ban on international humanitarian aid, including the substantial assistance offered by the European Commission.

However the talks have continued against a backdrop of continued violence and intimidation against MDC supporters, with numerous reports of deaths and serious injuries inflicted by government militia and ZANU-PF thugs since the signing of the MOU. At the same time foreign aid has still not received the go-ahead to help ease the dire circumstances and mass starvation that the majority of the Zimbabwean population now faces.

Commissioner Michel’s spokesman, John Clancy, told Newsreel on Friday the Commissioner is “very concerned” about the situation in Zimbabwe given the grave humanitarian crisis there. He said the “total clamp down on humanitarian aid access means the country’s most vulnerable are not given crucial assistance”. Clancy added the ongoing reports of violence are “unacceptable” and a continuing threat to the crucial negotiations taking place between the ruling ZANU-PF and the MDC.

Clancy continued by saying that the conditions set out by the MOU have clearly not been adhered to and, while the talks need to continue, the basic measures to end violence and suffering needed to be taken as a matter of urgency.