Zimbabwe president says he seeks to end election crisis 'peacefully'
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Thursday he wanted an independent investigation into the killing of three protesters when soldiers opened fire at election demonstrations, saying he sought to settle differences "peacefully".
"We believe in transparency and accountability, and those responsible should be identified and brought to justice," he said, adding that his government was in communication with opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.
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Two people were shot dead in Zimbabwe’s capital Wednesday as security forces clashed with protesters who were demanding the release of presidential election results.
Following the clash, police invoked a law formally calling on the army to help maintain order in Harare.
Meanwhile, Zimbabweans were anxiously waiting for tallies from Monday’s presidential election, the first in 38 years without longtime leader Robert Mugabe on the ballot. The opposition maintained that its leader, Nelson Chamisa, defeated current President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
About 150 demonstrators gathered Wednesday afternoon outside the offices of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC). Police tried to disperse the protesters using water cannons and tear gas. Protesters threw rocks in their direction and started fires in the street.
Then the army appeared, in armored personnel carriers on Harare’s main boulevard and overhead in a helicopter. VOA saw five armored vehicles with mounted high-caliber weapons, navigating around large rocks that littered the road. Gunfire echoed in the distance.
