Washington - After a new round of government-backed lethal attacks on Zimbabwe opposition figures, the United States Thursday called for President Robert Mugabe to stop the campaign of intimidation. Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said that "this violence and intimidation needs to stop."
"Mugabe and his supporters need to refrain from this sort of activity against those who are supporting the opposition," he told reporters onboard Air Force One, the US president's airplane.
President George W Bush was flying to Texas to prepare for his daughter, Jenna's, wedding on Saturday.
Mugabe supporters have attacked and killed six members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) this week, the MDC said Thursday, bringing to 30 its number of fatal victims since the March 29 elections.
A runoff was called for after MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai topped the poll but failed to win an outright majority of more than 50 per cent. Tsvangirai took 47.9 per cent to Mugabe's 43.2 per cent in official results.
"The people of Zimbabwe some time ago voted for change. The will of the people of Zimbabwe should be respected," Johndroe said.
He encouraged regional leaders to follow the example of Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa in trying to "resolve this electoral crisis."
The comment appeared to be a pointed jab at South African President Thabo Mbeki, who leads the power-house country in the region and yet has remained aloof of the growing crisis in Zimbabwe, which he regards as an internal matter.
Late last week, under pressure from his own party, religious leaders and the international community, Mbeki signalled he would immediately send a team to Zimbabwe to investigate reports of violence against opposition supporters.
A high-level delegation from South Africa held meetings north of the border this week with all parties to the impasse.
"I understand they'll be meeting soon with the South Africans. We would urge all the leaders in the region to play a constructive role so that the people of Zimbabwe can get their country back on not only the path to democracy but back on a sustainable economic future so they can support themselves," Johndroe said.
