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Now or never for Zimbabwe
Letter from the Avaaz.org Team
Posted on July 3, 2008
Mugabe has seized the Presidency of Zimbabwe in a sham election. We
urgently need our governments to refuse to recognize him this week.
Click below to send a message to your head of state:
After a violence-ridden, sham 'election' last Friday, Robert Mugabe
has declared himself President of Zimbabwe. Ominous reports of a
massive crackdown on all his opponents are circulating. The fate of
the country now hangs on negotiations between Mugabe and the
legitimate winner of the first round election -- Morgan Tsvangirai.
If governments around the world refuse to recognize Mugabe, and
strongly push other governments to do the same, his position will be
weakened, and he could be pressured into agreeing to a deal with
Tsvangirai that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people. There's
still hope to save Zimbabwe, but every day of silence strengthens
Mugabe's position.
So far only a few governments have refused to recognize Mugabe as
President -- we urgently need to turn this trickle into a flood, this
week. Click below to send a personalized message directly to your head
of state or foreign minister, and forward this email to others who
could help:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/zimbabwe_chance_for_peace/10.php?cl=104980020
The people of Zimbabwe are desperate for change. The country has been
decimated by Mugabe, with 80% unemployment, 160,000% inflation, and
rampant fear -- over 30% of the population has fled the country.
The people of Zimbabwe clearly voted for Tsvangirai over Mugabe in the
first round of the election, which was more free of violence. Then
Mugabe's party waged a campaign of terror and intimidation and
Tsvangirai was forced to withdraw after almost 100 of his party
activists were murdered. The UN Secretary General and election
observers from the African Union and Southern Africa Development
Community have condemned the run off election as illegitimate, and the
African Union has called for negotiations.
There is now only one path away from the violence -- a negotiated
agreement. If leaders from Brazil to Botswana and Indonesia to India
reject the regime, there is a chance of an agreement that reflects the
will of the people. We have to act fast, it's now or never for
Zimbabwe. Send your message now and spread the word:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/zimbabwe_chance_for_peace/10.php?cl=104980020
With hope,
the Avaaz.org Team
PS: For more information and sources for the facts above, see:
Regional leaders criticizing Mugabe:
Tanzania's Kikwete - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806200336.html
Rwanda's Kagame - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806190003.html
Kenya's Odinga - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806190949.html
Uganda's Museveni - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806120016.html
Botswana's Merafhe - http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL01238885.html
Zambia's Mwanawasa -
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/23/content_8419741.html
Impact of Zimbabwe crisis on the region:
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-1662_2349987,00.html
UN Secretary General critique of run off elections:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iXUQTIzQRDjsPjVN__ZD3EvEYFjA
Election observers on the run off elections:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200807010201.html
AU summit resolution on Zimbabwe: http://allafrica.com/stories/200807020018.html
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ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning
organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the
world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in
many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or
corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de
Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.
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