Zimbabwe abuse must end for talks success - churches

|PIC1|Violence and human rights abuses must end in Zimbabwe if talks on a power-sharing pact between government and opposition are to have any chance of success, a coalition of world Christian bodies said on Friday.

It also called for a "genuine restoration of the rule of law" and for justice for the survivors of election violence.

"We believe that the will of the people should be the fundamental basis on which to ground negotiations," a letter from the coalition, including the Geneva-based World Council of Churches (WCC), declared.

It said the talks between President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), under way in South Africa, should restore "peace, prosperity, dignity and the rule of law".

The letter, made public by the WCC, declared that the churches and Christian movements signing it "are appalled by reports of continuing violence if many parts of the country, particularly in the rural areas".

It added: "All forms of violence, harassment, intimidation and torture must cease immediately to provide an environment truly conducive for peaceful negotiations".

The WCC said its letter was sent on Thursday to South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki, who is chairing the talks in Pretoria, to Mugabe, and to the two leaders of the fractious MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara.

It called on them to shape an agreement "that rejects impunity but allows true reconciliation and healing".

The churches voiced regret there were no representatives of civil society at the talks and that none of the negotiating teams included a woman.

The coalition's letter was signed by leaders of the WCC, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the World Student Christian Federation, the World Young Women's Christian Association, and the World Alliance of Young Men's Christian Associations.

Three of the five leaders are themselves Africans.

Earlier this month, Zimbabwe's Christian community rejected Mugabe's proclaimed victory over Tsvangirai in the second round of presidential elections, saying the vote did not give "authentic expression" to the will of the people.

After leading Mugabe in the first round, Tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off, arguing that amid violence and killings widely blamed on the ZANU-PF he could not put his supporters lives any more at risk.