Press Statement
Office of the Press Secretary
Pretoria, South Africa
April 25, 2008
Statement on Assistant Secretary Frazer’s Meeting With MDC Leader Morgan Tsvangirai
Pretoria – U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Dr. Jendayi Frazer, met with the leader of Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Morgan Tsvangirai on April 24, 2008 in Pretoria, South Africa.
They discussed how the situation has moved from an electoral crisis to a human rights and humanitarian crisis. Assistant Secretary Frazer expressed the United States’ concern about the violence and human rights abuses in Zimbabwe after the election, including the documented reports of granaries being burned down and civilians being assaulted by Zimbabwe security forces, so-called war veterans, and youth militia.
Also discussed was their joint perception that “political space” in Zimbabwe has closed, making it almost impossible for any reasonable notion of a run-off election. They agreed that, given the long delay, any results will have limited credibility at this point.
After the meeting, Assistant Secretary Frazer stated, “It was a good meeting and a good opportunity to consult with the MDC leadership on their recent consultations across Africa, the situation on the ground in Zimbabwe, and their views on the way forward to achieve a resolution of the post-election and humanitarian crises in Zimbabwe. We assured the MDC that we would look at additional international action to address, and bring attention to, the evolving human rights and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe.”
Released on April 25, 2008
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