Monday 7 July 2008

Gap File produced at level 7
(updated at 10:48 GMT, Monday, 7 July 2008 11:48 UK ,BBC NEWS CHANNEL)

Militia attack Zimbabwe displaced
Armed militia have raided two camps for people fleeing post-election violence in Zimbabwe, opposition and medical officials have said.
The opposition said several people were killed in Gokwe, north of Harare but other reports say there was one death.
In Ruwa, near the capital, masked men in army fatigues beat up people who had previously sought refuge at the South African embassy, a witness said.
A BBC correspondent says the raids could threaten moves to share power.
At the G8 summit of the world's leading industrialised countries in Japan, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Zimbabwe's political parties to work together to restore the rule of law.
He said Zimbabwe's run-off, which saw President Robert Mugabe officially re-elected last month, lacked legitimacy.
Missing
At least eight of those attacked in Ruwa were taken to hospital and about 14 people - mostly from a patrol that camp occupants had organised to maintain security - were missing, the witness said.
About 400 people have been sheltering in local squash courts in Ruwa after being moved on from the South African embassy.
The opposition Movement of Democratic Change says 5,000 of its members are missing and more than 100 of its supporters have been murdered since elections in March.
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced.
The MDC accuses the army and ruling party militias of being behind the violence - charges denied by President Robert Mugabe.
The raids came shortly after South African President Thabo Mbeki held talks with Mr Mugabe and members of a breakaway opposition MDC faction over the weekend.
Mr Mbeki is the chief regional negotiator on Zimbabwe, and has been trying to persuade both sides to form a unity government.
There are reports that the South Africans have come up with a proposal that the MDC is prepared to consider, the BBC's Peter Greste reports from Johannesburg.
But it is difficult to see how things can advance, particularly in the light of the most recent attacks, our correspondent says.
Mr Tsvangirai boycotted the talks, saying meeting Mr Mugabe at State House would mean recognising his legitimacy as president.
He has previously said that the violence has to end before there can be any talks on sharing power.
Mr Mugabe has said the opposition must accept him as leader before any negotiations.
'Sham election'
Also at the G8 summit, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete alluded to differences between African and Western nations in their approach on Zimbabwe.
He was speaking next to US President George Bush, who said leaders had discussed Zimbabwe extensively.
"I care deeply about the people of Zimbabwe, I am extremely disappointed in the elections which I labelled a sham election," Mr Bush said.
Mr Kikwete, who also heads the African Union, said African countries shared the American president's concerns.
"The only area that we may differ is on the way forward," he said.
"We are saying no party can govern alone in Zimbabwe and therefore the parties have to work together, come out to work together in a government and then look at the future of their country together."
A small number of African states has joined the European Union, the US and other Western nations in criticising the way the election was run.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round of presidential elections in March, but official results gave him less than the 50%25 needed to avoid a run-off.
Mr Tsvangirai pulled out of the 27 June presidential run-off against President Mugabe, citing the election violence.

2 comments:

Steve said...

Good, but perhaps instead of just focussing on individual words, you may wish to highlight collocations (i.e. common phrases, like 'a sham election', 'the violence has to end', 'difference in their approach to...'

miwa said...

Next time, I'll highlight collocations. Thank you for your good advice.