TEHRAN, November 16 - Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi called on all sides in Zimbabwe’s conflict to settle disagreements and disputes through talks and peaceful means.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is closely monitoring all developments in the country. It calls on all involved sides to resolve the problems merely through peaceful means and talks, in line with the Constitution, democratic process and without any violence or use of force and based on demands and interests of Zimbabwe’s nation,” he said.
He expressed the hope that efforts made by certain African organizations including the African League and African leaders would yield fruitful results and help establish peace, stability and rule of law in the country.
Zimbabwe’s opposition leader and former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai has returned to the African country to following an effective coup against long-time President Robert Mugabe.
A spokesman for Tsvangirai, who is the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said he had flown back home from South Africa late on Wednesday, adding that two other former government ministers had also returned to their country from Russia.
The privately-owned NewsDay Zimbabwe paper reported that Tsvangirai was “ready to enter negotiations to form a transitional government with former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.”
Political tensions emerged in Zimbabwe last week after Mugabe fired Mnangagwa and accused him of plotting to take power, including through witchcraft. Mnangagwa, who enjoyed the backing of the military, had previously been considered the most likely to succeed the president if Mugabe resigned or died while in power. His sudden dismissal, however, raised speculations that Mugabe was clearing the way for his wife, Grace, to take the position.
The Thursday announcement came a day after the army seized power in the country in what was described by the leader of the African Union as a “coup.”
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Military forces blocked roads to the main government buildings in the center of the capital, Harare, and sought to portray it as a “bloodless transition” away from Mugabe.
Meanwhile, Reuters cites a “source” said that Mugabe and his wife and two key figures from her G40 political faction are under house arrest at Mugabe’s “Blue House” compound in Harare.
The army has also detained Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo, a leading member of the G40, which is a faction of the ruling ZANU-PF party, run by the president’s wife.
ZANU-PF said in series of tweets on Wednesday that “E Mnagngawa will be president of ZANU PF as per the constitution of our revolutionary organization.”
Source: Presstv