Police raid Zimbabwe opposition headquarters

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-24 12:58

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's opposition leader took refuge in the Dutch Embassy after pulling out of the presidential runoff, and the UN Security Council condemned a "campaign of violence" in the African nation that has made a fair election impossible.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Zimbabwean authorities on Monday to put off the presidential runoff election slated for Friday.

Zimbabwe opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai arrives at the Harare International airport in the capital May 24, 2008. Morgan Tsvangirai took refuge in the Dutch Embassy after pulling out of the presidential runoff. [Xinhua]

After Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the vote — reportedly fearing for his safety — police raided his Harare headquarters and hustled away dozens of his supporters.

In a unanimous statement, the 15-nation council said it "condemns the campaign of violence against the political opposition." Recent bloodshed widely blamed on supporters of President Robert Mugabe has killed dozens of opposition activists and other Zimbabweans.

In their first formal action on Zimbabwe's latest crisis, council members also agreed that the violence and restrictions on opposition activists imposed by Mugabe "have made it impossible for a free and fair election to take place" on Friday.

The US and France failed in an effort to include language asserting that Tsvangirai, who won the most votes in the first presidential round, should be considered the legitimate president until a fair election can be held.

Mugabe's government insisted Friday's vote would go ahead — with Tsvangirai's name on the ballot. The intent appeared to be to humiliate the opposition.

Tsvangirai returned to Zimbabwe a month ago to campaign, despite warnings by his Movement for Democratic Change party that he was the target of a state-sponsored assassination plot.

Since then, his top deputy has been arrested on treason charges — which carry the death penalty — and Tsvangirai has repeatedly been detained by police. His supporters have faced such violence that the opposition leader said Sunday he could not run.

Dutch officials said Monday that Tsvangirai sought shelter in their embassy in Harare following his announcement Sunday that he was withdrawing from the runoff, but said he did not ask for political asylum.

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