Tsvangirai zoekt toevlucht in Nederlandse ambassade

The Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangairai is seeking refuge at the Dutch embassy in Harare.


DEN HAAG - De Zimbabwaanse oppositieleider Morgan Tsvangirai is de Nederlandse ambassade in Harare ingevlucht.

De oppositieleider is zondag op het terrein aangekomen en heeft daar de nacht doorgebracht. Hij heeft tijdelijk zijn veiligheid gezocht op de Nederlandse ambassade en beraadt zich op verdere stappen, aldus Verhagen. Tsvangirai heeft geen asiel aangevraagd bij de Nederlanders.

Nederland is van mening dat met name Zuid-Afrika de druk op het regime van president Robert Mugabe moet opvoeren om tot een oplossing te komen. Volgens minister Bert Koenders (Ontwikkelingssamenwerking) is de internationale gemeenschap aan zet. Er is nog veel te weinig gebeurd vanuit de regio zelf, zei Koenders. Daarnaast is de hoop gevestigd op het initiatief van de Britten om een veroordeling van de VN-Veiligheidsraad te krijgen. Ook binnen de EU pleit Nederland voor opvoering van de druk, door middel van sancties.

De uitslag van de tweede ronde van de presidentsverkiezingen die vrijdag zouden plaatshebben mag volgens Koenders onder geen beding gerespecteerd worden. Koenders heeft regelmatig contact gehad met Tsvangirai, de laatste keer nog tien dagen geleden. Vanuit Frankrijk, waar hij samen met collega ministers voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking de jaarlijkse Tidewater-conferentie bijwoonde, zei Koenders dat de internationale gemeenschap aan zet is.

In een verklaring van de gezamenlijke ministers en vertegenwoordigers van de VN vanuit Frankrijk riepen zij met name de Afrikaanse leiders op tot het opvoeren van de druk op het regime van Mugabe om niet alleen de rechten van de bevolking te garanderen, maar ook de hulp mogelijk te maken. Er is momenteel een tekort van naar schatting een miljoen ton graan in Zimbabwe.

Nederland pleit al tijden voor eerlijke en vrije verkiezingen, veroordeelt al tijden het geweld van het regime en steunt mensenrechtenverdedigers. Nederland geeft geen steun aan de politieke partij MDC van Tsvangirai.


What's funny is that people always say the Dutch are so racist, and narrow minded but when people from Africa, Asia etc look for refuge they always run to Western Europe or America for refuge or assylum?? Now if we are so racist why not run to their neigbouring African, Middle Eastern or Asian countries looking for assylum?????????

Mugabe's Challenger Seeks Refuge at Dutch Embassy
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, June 23, 2008; 4:13 PM

HARARE, Zimbabwe, June 23 -- Police on Monday raided the offices of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party, arresting about 60 people -- including women and children -- on a day that world leaders condemned the actions of Zimbabwe's government in increasingly strong terms.


Thirty heavily armed anti-riot officers dragged the men, women and children out of the party offices, shoved them into police vehicles and took them to the Harare Central Police Station.

Many had sought refuge at party headquarters after being beaten or forced to flee their homes, part of a vicious campaign of violence waged by President Robert Mugabe in advance of a runoff election.

The runoff, between Mugabe and Tsvangirai has been scheduled for Friday. But Tsvangirai withdrew from the race Sunday, citing violence, killings and intimidation against his supporters. "We cannot stand there and watch people being killed for the sake of power," Tsvangirai said.

Tsvangirai is staying at the Dutch Embassy, under the protection of the government of the Netherlands, according to wire services.





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He hasn't requested asylum, according to reports today. He's looking for somewhere to stay and gather thoughts, where Mugabe can't have him arrested or murdered. Nor has he tried to leave Africa at all, unless I'm an hour or so out of date with the news.

This isn't just 'some african', it's a person who's trying to overthrow a maniac dictator who is having his own countrymen murdered - respect where it's due please, Universeel. Especially if you truely believe in 'freedom of speech' as Mugabe doesn't believe in that, only in absolute power.

Read the Topic...... Tsvangiray seeking refuge at Dutch embassy.

I said it's funny how everyone always say the Dutch are racist yet thousands of Africans, Asians, Middle Easterns ect ask for refuge or assylum in Western Europe and America instead of their neigbouring countries???

I never refered to him as some African, and I don't care if he claims assylum in the Netherlands, the fact of the matter is most people are quick to say Dutch people are racist and narrow minded, so why do refugees mostly seek refuge in Western Europe or America if we are so racist?

In other words why isn't his neigbouring countries embassies helping him or giving him refuge or assylum?

I don't get it.

The last thing I would conclude from this whole story is not what I am reading here. Universeel its Tsvangiray choice to take refuge at any place he wants and it has nothing to do with Dutch are racists etc . And if he has taken refuge in dutch embassy also doesn't certify that dutch are not racists; people who are living here (in NL) are enough proof for this cause.

It seems that you are really proud of this whole episode or yet to recover from the shock of dutch loosing to Russians in quarter-final. [I agree it has got nothing to do with this news, but this is the only way to tame Universeel]


Cheers,

Thanks for offering an English version of this story, sun-n-fun. Just a reminder to all to translate a little of the article you are referencing so that newcomers can understand the point you're making. Thanks!

Tchangerai hasn't requested asylum, he has requested sanctuary - completely different thing. He intends to leave the embassy within 48 hours.

**

" Now if we are so racist why not run to their neigbouring African, Middle Eastern or Asian countries looking for assylum?????????"

5 million Zimbabweans have done exactly that, universeel. 3 million in South Africa alone.

So what point is it you are trying to make?

perhaps you dont understand the tranlsation? Seeking refuge in the embassy is different from seeking to become a refugee in the Netherlands. He could go to any foreign embassy for this refuge as officially the embassy is its own territory and doesnt come under local juristiction. Maybe the dutch one was closest? He only wants to hang out there a couple of days, and you seem to have him moved into the Netherlands as a refugee! And if you were being chased and threatened, would you hide at the neighbours or would you get as far away as possible to a place more difficult for those chasing you to get to? Thats why they come to 'western' countries. Also in reality, suffering a bit of racist discrimination is far more appealing to most than death...

I hope he likes "hagelslag"

or "broodje kaas"! mmm lekka! Fortunately for him, he decided to leave the embassy today, before they could feed him a raw herring !

This morning he left the Dutch Embassy for a few hours to visit his house but he came back this afternoon...

I can only imagine the stress he is under.

Could it be that Tsvangiray has kept in mind what is going to happen in the future of his country by approaching the embassy of the country where the International Court of Justice is located? If a Special court is going to be held as it already is being done for other countries where dictators and tyrannic governments are being tried from the Hague, it would be easier for him later to bring up this point, that it was not just any Asian/African/Middle-East/European country , but the Netherlands.
What I find interesting you as a poster have decided to use this as proof that not everyone considers the Netherlands "unfriendly" and infact finds NL friendlier than other countries, regardless of color, race, and the fact that he does not eat hagelslag.

A bit late to this one, but I'll say this anyway...if this list is accurate, there are only four embassies of other African countries in Zimbabwe. I know that some countries have been pulling their diplomats out of Zimbabwe for some time now (Italy is leaving now), so it's entirely possible that there are now no African embassies in Zimbabwe any more.