Mr. President, with skyrocketing inflation and unemployment, riots over land reform and food shortages, and streams of economic and political refugees fleeing into neighboring countries, the primary constant in Zimbabwe over the last thirty years has been the increasingly despotic and disastrous rule of President Robert Mugabe. A decade ago, high interest rates and inflation galvanized public support for the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions led by Morgan Tsvangirai, who was chosen in 1999 to lead a new opposition party – the Movement for Democratic Change, or MDC. In 2002 and 2005, President Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party rigged presidential and parliamentary elections to maintain its grip on power, and while he tried to do it again on March 29th of this year, the MDC and the people of Zimbabwe refused to be intimidated or outmaneuvered.

Despite the Zimbabwean government’s best efforts to limit the access of international monitors and journalists, most observers concur that the general elections conducted this past March were fraught with rigging, mainly to favor the ruling ZANU-PF. Even so, these efforts failed to silence the people of Zimbabwe’s call for change. After significant and unexplained delays, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced that the MDC had won a majority in Parliament and that Mr. Tsvangirai won more votes for the presidency, but not enough to avoid a run-off.

For more than six weeks now, Zimbabwe has been in a state of increasing political uncertainty and violence. With each passing day, there are new reports of state-sponsored intimidation and detention of opposition leaders and supporters, human rights activists, trade union leaders, lawyers and journalists. The delay in announcing and now in setting a date for the presidential run-off election has allowed the ruling party to mobilize traditional state security services as well as youth militias and bands of military veterans to weaken the opposition. Mr. Tsvangirai has agreed to participate in a run-off election, but he is reluctant to return to Zimbabwe, much less to campaign, unless the government will guarantee his security and cease its assault on his supporters. Facing the prospect of another three months in political limbo and social upheaval, Zimbabwe risks plunging into even greater uncertainty and instability.

Mr. President, we can not stand by while this disaster unfolds. President Mugabe has been losing legitimacy, both at home and abroad, for years, isolating himself and his country to the determent of Zimbabwe’s citizens. The people of Zimbabwe are calling for change, but it will take engagement from external actors to help them escape the devastating status quo. The recent decision by dock workers across southern Africa to refuse to unload a Chinese ship carrying Zimbabwe-bound ammunition sent a strong message, one that the international community should echo. Public statements condemning the situation in Zimbabwe by the newly elected President of Botswana followed on the heels of these protests and resulted in the denial of a port at which the Chinese ship could dock. Decisions by other leaders in the region to welcome Mr. Tsvangirai for a visit have been equally important signs of this growing political will but they are not enough.

The MDC’s run-off conditions are more than reasonable, and should be supported in any way possible by regional and international governments. Given the tense environment and high potential for politically motivated violence, a commitment to ending impunity for human rights violations and stopping the attacks must be a top priority. Yesterday, the United Nations’ representative in Zimbabwe reported "indications that the level of violence is escalating ... and could reach crisis levels.” I urge the UN to immediately send a team to investigate these human rights abuses so that the perpetrators will be held accountable and future violations might be deterred. Similarly, I welcome the African Union’s willingness to send additional monitors for the run-off election, and I encourage the AU or SADC to draw together resources for a short-term peacekeeping mission to maintain order and protect civilians in Zimbabwe during this uncertain time.

In addition to an immediate cessation of violence, I fully support demands by the United States government and others that the Zimbabwe government permit unfettered access for international media and observers during the campaign and conduct of the run-off polls and guarantee Mr. Tsvangirai’s safety. South Africa’s President Mbeki and other leaders of the Southern African Development Community should join this forthright call. President Mugabe and his top brass must respect fundamental human and political rights and allow for a fair, non-violent, and independently monitored run-off election that can bring to power a legitimate government capable of bringing stability and growth to this embattled nation.

Thank you.