Activists seek Zimbabwe ban from UN peace missions

OPPOSITION parties and pro-democracy groups have petitioned the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and Security Council to force the withdrawal of Zimbabwean security personnel on various peacekeeping missions across the globe.

The petition, signed by MDC-T, Zimbabwe People First, People's Democratic Party, National Vendors' Union (Navuz), #ThisFlag, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, student groups and residents' associations, among others, said President Robert Mugabe's government stood accused of violating a litany of international instruments.

"We, the petitioners, thus, call for the UN General Assembly and Security Council to immediately issue a resolution condemning the actions and activities of Zimbabwe. Consider such appropriate penalties, as defined in international law against the Republic of Zimbabwe," the petition, handed over to the UN representative in Harare yesterday, reads.

"Order the immediate withdrawal of all forces and individuals deployed by Zimbabwe on various peacekeeping missions and call on Zimbabwe to immediately stop and abate the omissions and commissions against international law and its own institutions and restore immediately the rule of law and constitutionalism."

Led by Navuz frontman, Standrick Zvorwadza, the petitioners said the deployment of peacekeepers assumed that those contributing forces were compliant with international statutes.

"Whereas the deployment of troops to the UN presupposes that the contributing member State is in itself in a fit and proper condition for such deployment. Further, whereas such deployment presupposes that the member State is in full compliance with the UN Charter and with other international instruments that pertain to the rule of law, constitutionalism and human rights.

"Whereas it is patently clear that Zimbabwe is in breach of the UN Charter, in particular the rights protected under Article 13, 9, 8, 18, 19 and 20, being the rights, among other things, to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, freedom to hold opinion and freedom of movement. Whereas Zimbabwe has breached Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which makes it clear that no one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment," the petition read.

"In addition to the above and contrary to international instruments, the Zimbabwe Republic Police has proscribed the rights of individuals to protest through, for instance, the issuance of bans and other proscriptions through use of the Public Order and Security Act, which is a direct violation of citizenry rights."