HARARE – The European Union (EU) has criticised political violence in Zimbabwe, which the southern African country’s opposition says has killed at least 50 of its members and displaced thousands of others.

The powerful bloc – that has maintained visa and financial sanctions against President Robert Mugabe’s government since 2002 as punishment for rigging elections and violating human rights – called for an end to “state-sponsored” political violence ahead of the country’s June 27 presidential election run-off.

“The EU strongly condemns the state-sponsored campaign of violence and intimidation against Zimbabweans that has been increasing throughout the prolonged electoral process and calls for an immediate end to the beatings, tortures, killings and other human rights abuses,” the EU external relations council said in communiqué released in Brussels on Monday.

“The Council calls upon the government of Zimbabwe to ensure a level playing field and a secure environment conducive to ensuring that the results of forthcoming second round will reflect the free and democratic will of the Zimbabwean people,” it said.

The second round election is being held after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe in a first round vote in March but failed to secure the margin required to take over power.

Tsvangirai has accused Mugabe of unleashing the army and ruling ZANU PF party militia to beat, torture and murder supporters of his opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

However the government denies the charges and over the weekend alleged that MDC supporters shot dead two ZANU PF members in the rural district of Mutoko in what it said was a campaign of political violence by the opposition party.

The EU council urged Zimbabwean electoral authorities to ensure all candidates and supporters are able to participate safely and fully in the electoral process, adding that the EU was ready to observe the run-off election if invited.

“The EU remains ready to deploy an EU election observation mission, if the right conditions are met, yet the EU notes that no invitation has been made to the EU as of today,” the council said.

Mugabe has banned the EU countries and other Western nations from observing Zimbabwe’s elections, limiting invitation only to what he has described as friendly countries and organisations.

The friendly election observers routinely pass Zimbabwe’s polls as free and fair despite rampant political violence, including the murder of opposition supporters that has accompanied the southern African country’s polls since 1999. – ZimOnline.