The United Nations (UN) Secretary General António Guterres reportedly spoken to both Zimbabwe’s President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.
Guterres echoed the UN’s calls for parties to exercise restraint and to pursue any challenges through legal means.
This follows Zimbabwe’s elections last week, which Mnangagwa won, but Chamisa claims were rigged.
The UN chief’s deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said, “The Secretary General spoke by telephone with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and with Nelson Chamisa, President of the Movement for Democratic Change alliance. In his two calls, the SG made clear that he counted on the President of Zimbabwe to ensure that the security forces show maximum restraint. He also encourages the opposition to pursue their electoral grievances through legal channels.”
“He also added that any legal decision taken by the Court on the election results would need to be independent. In his conversations the SG stressed the UN’s continued support for Zimbabwe in the post electoral period and his hope that all Zimbabweans will move forward in unity,” added Haq.
