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17.06.2008 Zimbabwe

UN envoy due for Zimbabwe talks

17.06.2008 LISTEN
By BBC


A top UN official is due in Zimbabwe for a five-day visit ahead of the presidential run-off, which continues to be marred by political violence.

Haile Menkerios is expected to meet politicians to discuss the situation in the run-up to the 27 June vote.

Violence is reported to have spread to urban areas near Harare, with opposition activists complaining of being attacked near the city.

The UK prime minister called Zimbabwe's government a "criminal regime".

Gordon Brown, meeting US President George Bush in London, said: "[President Robert] Mugabe must not be allowed to steal the election."

He also called for the UN to send a human rights envoy to Zimbabwe. Mr Menkerios is to have "discussions on the political situation and the upcoming elections".

Meanwhile, the lawyer for opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Secretary-General Tendai Biti says Mr Biti is unlikely to appear in court on Monday, as expected.

Mr Biti was arrested when he returned from neighbouring South Africa on Thursday and briefly appeared in court on Saturday, after his lawyers obtained a court order for the police to produce him and justify his detention.

At the time of his arrest, national police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said Mr Biti would be charged with treason "for publishing a document that was explaining a transitional strategy around March 26".

The charges carry a possible death sentence.

Curfew

The visit of Mr Menkerios - the first by a UN envoy since 2005 - comes after sustained pressure from foreign countries and opposition politicians on President Robert Mugabe to allow in international observers.

Last week the US ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, released a strongly-worded statement on Mr Menkerios's visit.

"If [Mr Mugabe] does not co-operate with Mr Menkerios and the current trends continue, we will have to deal with it. And we'll deal with it as quickly as we can."

The police have imposed a 12-hour curfew in parts of Masvingo province - one of those worst affected by recent violence.

A local police chief said most political violence was carried out at night and so ordered villagers to remain indoors after 1800 in Bikita and Zaka districts.

Political violence related to the presidential polls has swept the country in recent weeks, with thousands of people being displaced and dozens killed.

But it had been largely restricted to rural areas, especially those which had switched allegiance from Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF to the MDC.

Harare, traditionally an opposition stronghold, had remained relatively quiet.

However, at the weekend a local journalist reported a growing campaign of violence carried out by supporters of Zanu-PF in townships close to the capital.

Reporter Brian Hungwe said victims of the violence told him their houses were being burnt.

They had been forced into all-night meetings at bases set up in their townships where they were warned about the dangers of voting against Mr Mugabe, he reported.

Earlier, the president had vowed the main opposition party would never lead Zimbabwe and said he was prepared to "go to war" for his country.

He is due to face MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the run-off poll.

Mr Tsvangirai won the first presidential ballot, but failed to win enough votes for an overall majority, according to the official results. He has been briefly detained several times while campaigning for the run-off vote.

Source: BBC

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