UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Zimbabwe’s President elect Emmerson Mnangagwa during a telephone conversation that he must rein in his security forces after six people were killed in election violence.
Haq said Guterres also called MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa and urged him to seek legal recourse and not take to the streets if he plans to challenge Mnangagwa’s election victory. The statement by Haq reads:
The Secretary‑General spoke by telephone yesterday with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and with Nelson Chamisa, President of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance. In his two calls, the Secretary‑General made clear that he counted on the President of Zimbabwe to ensure that the security forces show maximum restraint. He also encouraged the opposition to pursue their electoral grievances through legal channels. He added that any legal decision taken by the court on the election results would need to be independent. In his conversations, the Secretary‑General stressed the UN’s continued support for Zimbabwe in the post‑electoral period and his hope that all Zimbabweans will move forward in unity.
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