Statement Ministry for Foreign Affairs 22 June 2008
Carl Bildt, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Terror stops democracy in Zimbabwe

The escalation of the terror against the democratic opposition in Zimbabwe has now led to Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC being forced to pull out of the second round of the presidential elections on Friday.

The responsibility for the state-supported terror that is now destroying the possibilities for democracy in Zimbabwe clearly lies with Robert Mugabe.

He is now using violence to establish a de facto dictatorship in the country whose economy he has already so thoroughly destroyed.

The rest of Africa in particular - and perhaps South Africa most of all, since Zimbabwe is so dependent on it - now has a major responsibility, along with the UN Security Council, to react very clearly against the violence and terror.

And we must actively work to ensure that the potential for democratic development in Zimbabwe can be re-created.