Zimbabwe church leaders calls for an end to political violence

Church leaders on Monday called for an end to escalating political violence and "hate language" fuelling it as elections approach and the nation slides deeper into a political crisis.
The Zimbabwe Council of Churches has urged political leaders to "reflect deeply" and work to resolve outstanding issues before holding elections.
President Robert Mugabe has called for elections this year to end a troubled two-year coalition with the former opposition that was formed after violence-plagued elections in 2008.
Clergy across the country reported a lack of impartiality by police and security forces, a surge in threats and intimidation and a revival of the deployment of militias and other groups that perpetrated the 2008 violence.
Roman Catholic bishops and heads of other Christian denominations criticized politicians for what they described as "occasional denunciation" of violence.
"We believe it must become more regular and translated into reality," they said.
Inflammatory language widely reported in the state media has spurred violence and undermined efforts toward national healing after years of political and economic turmoil.
The churches said they were ready to help promote dialogue within the coalition. They also called for more intervention by regional leaders of the Southern African Development community to resolve outstanding disputes over power-sharing before any election can be held.
They said churches also will hold prayer vigils for peace and proposed the eventual formation of an independent truth, justice and reconciliation commission to deal with "truth telling, acknowledgment of past wrongs and restorative and transitional justice issues."