Minister for Africa statement on violence and human rights violations in Zimbabwe
Minister for Africa urges government of Zimbabwe and opposition party to call for calm amid violence following elections.
Following a call with opposition and government leaders today, Minister of State for Africa Harriett Baldwin said:
I am deeply concerned by the violence and human rights violations which have taken place in Zimbabwe since last week’s elections.
Today I spoke to Nelson Chamisa and Foreign Minister Moyo to urge all parties to ensure calm while any challenges to the result of the election are resolved.
This should have been a time for Zimbabweans to have their say on the future of their country in a peaceful, democratic way. Instead we saw violence breaking out and security forces targeting opposition supporters.
Zimbabwe’s human and constitutional rights must be protected by the state. The UK stands with the international community in calling for the Zimbabwean security forces to act with restraint.