South African archbishop seeks help defusing crisis in Zimbabwe

Published: 2008-04-10

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) -- A South African archbishop has urged African leaders to act swiftly to defuse the crisis in Zimbabwe, a country facing the threat of political violence after disputed elections March 29. Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg called on "the leaders of the Southern African Development Community and the African Union to act swiftly to defuse this tension by mandating a mediator of sufficient international repute, such as Kofi Annan (former secretary-general of the United Nations), to ensure a solution that is acceptable to all Zimbabweans." "I urge (South African) President (Thabo) Mbeki, the leaders of the Southern African Development Community and African Union leaders to use all of their influence and skill to intervene for the release of the Zimbabwean election results," said the archbishop, president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference in an April 10 statement. He noted that "the situation in Zimbabwe is of regional, continental and international concern."

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