Zimbabwe Arms Embargo Call

Catholic aid agencies around the world are calling on the UN Security Council to put in place an immediate arms embargo on Zimbabwe. Church leaders in the country have warned that without international intervention Zimbabweans face genocide.

Caritas Internationalis, the umbrella organisation for 162 national Catholic charities, including SCIAF, said international observers must also be sent to Zimbabwe to monitor human rights.

Caritas said that church worker reports from within Zimbabwe of increased levels of violence are deeply troubling and in this context the international community must prevent further arms reaching the country. A Chinese arms shipment was refused permission to unload in South Africa over the weekend. Caritas is urging all African countries to refuse to allow the arms to travel through their territory.

Paul Chitnis, SCIAF’s chief executive, supports Caritas colleagues working in the country and said,

“Peace and human development go hand in hand. An increase in violence in Zimbabwe will further compound the suffering of people whose lives are already blighted by poverty. SCIAF joins its Caritas partners in calling for an international arms embargo and supports a peaceful resolution to the current situation. The human rights of the people of Zimbabwe have to be fully respected.”

Caritas Internationalis President Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga said,

“No more arms must reach Zimbabwe unless there is the guarantee that they will not be used against the people. Church workers are reporting an upsurge in violence that is deeply troubling.

“The international community has a clear mandate to act by approving a UN Security Council resolution enforcing an arms embargo against the country. The UN must also act proactively by sending observers to Zimbabwe to monitor any human rights abuses. The Government of Zimbabwe should welcome international monitors.

“As Pope Benedict XVI said to the UN last week, if states are unable to guarantee the protection of their people, the international community must intervene with the juridical means provided in the United Nations Charter and in other international instruments. It is indifference or failure to intervene that does the real damage.

The Caritas President is also urging for the democratic process in Zimbabwe to be upheld. Results from elections in the country on 29 March have been withheld.
In a joint statement, signed by the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, church leaders all called for outside help to end post-poll unrest.

"Organised violence perpetrated against individuals, families and communities who are accused of campaigning or voting for the 'wrong' political party ... has been unleashed throughout the country," the statement said.

"We warn the world that if nothing is done to help the people of Zimbabwe from their predicament, we shall soon be witnessing genocide similar to that experienced in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and other hot spots in Africa and elsewhere.

"We appeal to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union and the United Nations to work towards arresting the deteriorating political and security situation in Zimbabwe."

Media contacts:

SCIAF: Val Morgan
Tel: 0141 354 5555 / Mobile: 07914 408 589 / email: vmorgan@sciaf.org.uk

Caritas Internationalis
Tel.: +39 06 698 797 99

25th April 2008