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Tsvangirai calls for UN assistance for 'in-crisis Zimbabwe'

22/04/2008

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has urged the United Nations to intervene to stop alleged post-election 'military terrorism' in Zimbabwe.

Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon met with Mr Tsvangirai at a UN conference on trade and development in Accra.

And Mr Ban spoke out publicly against the "very serious humanitarian situation" that now exists in the troubled southern African nation.

Zimbabwe has been in turmoil since the national election took place late last month, which appeared to show support for President Robert Mugabe had run out after his ruling Zanu-PF party lost out in the polls to Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party.

Despite widespread reports of a victory in the parliamentary vote and the presidential vote for the opposition, results are yet to be published by Mr Mugabe's regime - leading to fears that they could be rigged.

Following his meeting with Mr Tsvangirai in the Ghanaian capital, Mr Ban told reporters: "He told me that the military had been deployed around the country terrorizing people.

"And therefore many people had been running away from their homes and hiding somewhere, which has in turn created a very serious humanitarian situation."

It remains unclear if the UN or possibly South Africa - the most outspoken African critic of Mr Mugabe's regime - will send assistance.

The latest reports of violence and unrest in Zimbabwe follows yesterday's speech by British foreign secretary David Miliband, which was seen as the most damning yet of Mr Mugabe's regime.

Mr Miliband accused the Zimbabwean leader of unleashing a "campaign of violence" after he had lost last month's election and submitted a written statement to the House of Commons claiming 60 per cent of his countrymen had voted against him.