ADF Statement on Zimbabwe Protests
ADF Statement on Zimbabwe Protests
REQUESTING THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE TO HAVE DIALOGUE WITH CITIZENS AND REFRAIN FROM USING FORCE AGAINST CIVILIANS
January 17th 2019
The African Democracy Forum is concerned about the ongoing protests in Zimbabwe and the use of force by the military against civilians. On January 14th 2019, Pastor Evan Mawarire, a renowned Harare pastor, urged Zimbabwean nationals to stay at home and peacefully protest the hiked fuel prices. Protestors expressed demur over the country’s collapsing economy, dollar shortages and rocketing inflation that is increasing the cost of living for average Zimbabweans.
In response to these protests, military and police personnel have been deployed and confrontations with demonstrators have escalated as the soldiers are carrying out raids, using brutal and excessive force to assault and disperse people, and arresting protestors including Pastor Evan Mawarire. In Harare, both the military and police shot live ammunition at unarmed civilians, resulting in some fatalities and approximately sixty-eight gunshot wounds as of January 17th 2019.
The Ministry of Information of Zimbabwe has since issued a press statement justifying this use of force by referring to the protests across the country as ‘terrorist acts’ and total disregard for the rule of law and order. Furthermore, the country’s internet provider, Econet, blocked citizens’ access to the internet and released a statement claiming that they were acting under state security instructions and were obliged to comply.
The African Democracy Forum seeks to ensure that the principles of democracy, human rights, good governance and the rule of law are fully observed and respected throughout Africa.
Alarmed by the aforementioned issues, the African Democracy Forum calls upon the government of Zimbabwe to refrain from using force against unarmed civilians.
The African Democracy Forum reminds the government of Zimbabwe that restricting access to the internet is an infringement of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
Aware of the overlapping rules of engagement when dealing with protestors, as per the new Constitution and the Public Order and Security Act of Zimbabwe, the African Democracy Forum recommends that the government of Zimbabwe desists from using live ammunition and excessive force towards unarmed civilians and further recommends the dissolution of military involvement.
The African Democracy Forum calls upon the African Union, the SADC and the International Community to seek justice for the people of Zimbabwe by urging the government of Zimbabwe to recognize the right to peaceful protest and engage its citizens in open dialogue.