EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

   2004   2009   

Session document

24.4.2007 B6-0188/2007

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission

pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure

by Thierry Cornillet, Marios Matsakis, Johan Van Hecke and Fiona Hall

on behalf of the ALDE Group

on the situation in

RE\664584EN.doc PE 389.454v01-00 EN EN B6-0188/2007

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Zimbabwe

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions of 16 December 2004, 7 July 2005 and 7 September 2006,

– having regard to Council Common Position 2007/120/CFSP of 19 February 2007 renewing restrictive measures against Zimbabwe until 20 February 2008,

– having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 236/2007 of 2 March 2007 extending the list of those persons in Zimbabwe targeted by the restrictive measures,

– having regard to the International Crisis Group’s report of 5 March 2007 ‘Zimbabwe: An End to the Stalemate?’,

– having regard to the Emergency SADC Summit of 28-29 March 2007 held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,

– having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. gravely concerned by the increasing violence and serious human rights abuses carried out with impunity against opposition party leaders, MDC supporters and ordinary citizens and deploring the severe assault on Mr , MDC spokesman, who was severely beaten by security forces last March,

B. whereas the recent escalation of political unrest began when the authorities banned all political rallies and meetings last February,

C. whereas the SADC meeting to address the crisis in Zimbabwe has not delivered any tangible result aiming at improving and restoring the fundamental human rights of the population,

D. whereas President Mugabe has announced his retirement by 2008,

E. whereas Zimbabwe’s economy has contracted by 40 % in the last decade,

F. whereas life expectancy in Zimbabwe is now among the lowest in the world at 37 for males and 34 for females,

G. whereas over half the population is either on the breadline or has left the country,

1. Condemns all human rights abuses including the recent violence against opposition leaders, human rights activists and ordinary citizens, including arbitrary arrests;

PE 389.454v01-00 2/4 RE\664584EN.doc EN 2. Condemns the Mugabe regime’s violent break-up of a peaceful prayer rally organised by the Save Zimbabwe Campaign in Highfield district on 11 March 2007 and the subsequent arrest of , Nelson Chamisa, Grace Kwinjeh, Lovemore Madhuku, William Bango, Sekai Holland, , Arthur Mutambara and many other members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and other opposition groups and parties;

3. Deplores the continuing downward spiral of economic collapse and political oppression, which has deepened the misery of millions of Zimbabweans,

4. Deeply deplores the brutal treatment of those arrested, as well as the injuries inflicted during the suppression of meetings and during raids on the victims’ homes, which has resulted in the hospitalisation of some 600 people in recent months;

5. Protests at the re-arrest of MDC members, including Morgan Tsvangirai and others on 28 March, renewed attacks against MDC members, such as the cowardly assault on Nelson Chamisa at Harare International Airport on 18 March, and the continued detention of many opposition activists, including Ian Makone;

6. Recognises that South African President , in agreeing to facilitate dialogue between ZANU-PF and the opposition MDC, has undertaken a significant and difficult task, putting his own reputation at stake;

7. Calls on the Zimbabwean Government to respect the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights including the right to life and physical integrity, freedom of association and freedom of assembly;

8. Calls on the Zimbabwean Government to convene a meeting with opposition leaders and civil society actors in order to address the current political crisis and pave the way for fair and peaceful democratic transition;

9. Offers its assistance in the implementation of any agreed process that will establish the basis for truly free and fair elections;

10. Calls on the United Kingdom, which assumed the Presidency of the Security Council this month, to put Zimbabwe on the agenda of the Security Council;

11. Insists that all aid destined for Zimbabwe must be delivered through genuine non- governmental organisations and must reach the people for whom it is intended, with the least possible involvement of the Mugabe regime;

12. Calls upon South Africa to address the specific situation of Zimbabwean migrants through comprehensive measures in compliance with human rights provisions;

13. Calls on the Council to ensure that all Member States rigorously apply existing restrictive measures, including the arms embargo and the travel ban;

RE\664584EN.doc 3/4 PE 389.454v01-00 EN 14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the , the governments and parliaments of Zimbabwe and South Africa and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.

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