Government concerned over Zimbabwe violence
The foreign ministry has warned that it is "very concerned" about the continuing violence directed against opposition supporters in Zimbabwe.
A statement said “massive intimidation and open acts of violence against members of the electorate and opposition supporters are preventing free and fair elections”.
The opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has withdrawn his candidature from the second round of the presidential elections currently underway in the southern African nation because of the incidents.
The foreign ministry appealed to the “Government of Zimbabwe for the immediate release of prisoners of conscience not charged with acts of violence.”
It added that Switzerland supported the United Nations Security Council declaration condemning the violence perpetrated by the Zimbabwe government, and it joined the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, in calling for the elections to be postponed.
The foreign ministry also demanded that humanitarian agencies be granted access to the affected population.
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