Press Releases:

June 23, 2008

Zimbabwe: End Recognition of Mugabe

NEW YORK / CAPE TOWN - African political leaders should no longer recognize Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe and should help Zimbabwe end his reign of violence, the International Center for Transitional Justice said Monday.

"Mr. Mugabe's government has become illegitimate," said Juan E. Méndez, president of the ICTJ. "Leaders should not recognize a government that has made fair elections impossible."

If the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, had not withdrawn from the presidential run-off election scheduled for June 27, he would have given legitimacy to a fraudulent process, the ICTJ said. His action also may stop, at least temporarily, the carnage and brutal reprisals by Mr. Mugabe's militia against MDC supporters.

The ICTJ calls for:

• the 14-member states of the Southern African Development Community to work urgently on a peaceful transition of power in Zimbabwe;
• African leaders to press, if necessary, for a temporary government of national unity for Zimbabwe that would lead to new elections with international supervision;
  
• the international community to guarantee Zimbabweans the right to secure truth - that is, to documenting the actions of the country's leaders and institutions - and accountability and justice; and
• African leaders to strengthen the African Court of Human Rights to enable it to exercise the responsibility to protect and to deliver justice.

 

"What matters most right now is halting the human rights abuses in Zimbabwe," said Comfort Ero, director of the ICTJ's South Africa office. "African leaders need to deal with dictators who hold their citizens hostage."

Africa has the institutions in place, such as the African Court of Justice and Human Rights, to deal with such situations, the ICTJ said.

About the ICTJ

The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) assists countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuse. The Center works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain unresolved.

To learn more about the ICTJ, please visit www.ictj.org

CONTACT
Robert Ruby
Communications Director
Tel + 1 917 637 3845
rruby@ictj.org

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