Zimbabwe: Human rights first, then the EU can consider support to the Zimbabwean government

Today, 11 february, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will be nominated premier of the inclusive Zimbabwean government. Zimbabwe Watch (ZW) hopes that this government will bring humanitarian relief and positive democratic changes to the people in Zimbabwe. Seeing the current cholera crisis they will need broad humanitarian support which we encourage. However ZW calls on the Netherlands and the European Union (EU) to keep it’s current common position on Zimbabwe and only reconsider support to the inclusive government if it has undertaken concrete changes on the ground.
“Even if Tsvangirai’s MDC party joins this government, the Netherlands and the EU must continue to demand concrete changes on the ground, such as respect for human rights, an end to violence, free media and unrestricted access to humanitarian aid before they reconsider their position on Zimbabwe” says Pascal Richard, Zimbabwe Watch coordinator “Robert Mugabe and his party, who lost the elections have forced this deal through violence, abductions and intimidation. Through this deal the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has effectively legitimised the role and behaviour of Robert Mugabe and his ZanuPF party. If the EU rewards this new government with financial support and ending targeted sanctions without any real changes on the ground first, the EU would appear as totally dishonest and untrustworthy.” These sanctions include visa ban and asset freeze for the leadership of ZanuPF members and supports
This inclusive government forced upon Zimbabwe by SADC does not represent in any way the outcome of the march 2008 elections. The Zimbabwean and South African Trade Union congresses (ZCTU and Cosatu) indicated in a common declaration that “formation a government of national unity rewarding the losers of elections establishes a dangerous precedent”. They consider this settlement, which allows losers to keep power through violence, a very worrying development for democracy in Africa.
On the 6th of february a broad range of civil society organisations in Zimbabwe met in an ‘All Stakeholders Constitutional Conference’ and reiterated that this political agreement does not reinforce democracy in Zimbabwe and remains inadequate as a tool of creating a new people driven constitution. Various organisations have expressed their great worry that Tsvangirai will be inaugurated as premier minister without political prisoners being released or any steps towards respect of human rights agreed upon. In their statement the Zimbabwean churches also criticised South-African president Montlathe, who is playing a mediating role for SADC in this ‘inclusive government’, for having called for an end of sanctions without the government showing any changes in policy and actions.
Note for the press:
You can contact Pascal Richard coordinator Zimbabwe Watch on 0031 - 20 520 61 10, pascal.richard@niza.nl .