Zimbabwe opposition pleads for international intervention

Zimbabwe resembles a war zone, with thousands of people displaced, hundreds injured, and 10 killed in postelection violence, an opposition leader said yesterday.

Tendai Biti, secretary general of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said violence since the 29 March election had forced 3,000 families out of their homes. Hundreds of people had been injured and 10 people killed, he said.

Mr Biti appealed for international intervention and said humanitarian agencies in Zimbabwe must be mobilised "as a matter of urgency because Zimbabwe is a war zone", he told a news conference in Johannesburg.

He said key members of the opposition had been arrested. Mr Biti and the MDC president, Morgan Tsvangirai say they face arrest if they return to Zimbabwe.

On Saturday, electoral officials began recounting ballots for a couple of dozen legislative seats being challenged. Most seats being recounted had been declared for opposition candidates, including Mr Mugabe's home district of Zvimba.

Mr Biti said: "They created fresh ballot papers. It is clear the dictatorship will do everything to try to reverse the people's victory. Mugabe can delay ... but he will go." The state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation said the re-count could take three days.

Mr Biti said President Mugabe was desperate.

The opposition released a detailed list of its supporters who had been injured or killed since the elections.

Human Rights Watch has said that "torture and violence are surging in Zimbabwe". It warned of "torture camps to systematically target, beat and torture people suspected of having voted for the MDC in last month's elections".

This week the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon is expected to discuss the crisis with African leaders at a trade meeting in Ghana.

On Saturday in Nairobi, the former UN chief Kofi Annan questioned whether leaders on the continent were doing enough to help Zimbabwe. "Where are the Africans? Where are the leaders and the countries in the region? What are they doing? It's a crisis that will impact beyond Zimbabwe and we have a responsibility to find viable solution."