Minister for Foreign Affairs Welcomes Security Council Statement on Deepening Crisis in Zimbabwe

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin, T.D., has strongly welcomed the unequivocal position taken by UN Security Council in condemning the ongoing campaign of violence and intimidation by the Government of Zimbabwe.

The Minister said:

“I strongly welcome yesterday’s unequivocal and unanimous statement by the Security Council, in which it declared that a free and fair run-off election in Zimbabwe is now impossible because of violence and restrictions on the opposition, and explicitly condemned President Mugabe’s government.  I fully share this view

 The Government joins in utterly condemning the orchestrated and brutal state-sponsored campaign of violence which led to the decision by Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the second round of the presidential elections.  While it now looks as if the second round elections will go ahead, the international community have made clear their refusal to accept the result of such a sham process.

The Government fully supports any further action that can be taken in the UN framework to bring influence to bear on the situation in Zimbabwe.

It is vital that efforts continue, with the African Union and Zimbabwe’s neighbours playing a leading role,  to end the current violence and to chart a democratic way forward which will reflect the wishes of the people of Zimbabwe.

At EU level, Ireland would strongly support any new measures which would exert further pressure directly on those guilty of directing political violence in Zimbabwe without increasing the suffering of the Zimbabwean people”.

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Press

24/6/08