EJN met the Swedish Minister of Development, Gunilla Carlsson, to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe. EJN is deeply concerned by recent instances of violence which suggest that Zimbabwe’s Global Peace Agreement is not being respected. The Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa issued a call for peace and caring in Zimbabwe and Swaziland, and handed over its formal statement to the Swedish minister.

Sweden currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, and the Minister was visiting South Africa and Zimbabwe to address various issues.

The meeting, arranged by Norwegian Church Aid, lauded the political accommodations that had been made by ZANU PF and the MDC, but concerns were raised about continuing rights abuses and political tensions in the country.

EJN and other organisations at the meeting also called for a debt audit in Zimbabwe to scrutinize the huge external debt that the country is carrying.

Read the full statement from FOCCISA on peace and caring in Zimbabwe and Swaziland.