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WHEREAS, leaders of Zimbabwe's security forces known as the “Joint Operations Command” under command responsibility of Robert Mugabe are orchestrating and carrying out a campaign of murder, torture and political violence since the March 29 elections in which neither new majority party leader and first place finisher Morgan Tsvangirai nor second place finisher Mugabe obtained the majority vote needed for victory; and
WHEREAS, Human Rights Watch reported this month that youth militias and army-sponsored gangs in anticipation of a run-off election between Tsvangirai and Mugabe, and under the direction of the Joint Operations Command, have killed dozens of MDC organizers, tortured or beaten hundreds more, displaced thousands from their homes, killed and maimed livestock, and engaged in gross intimidation tactics that have resulted in a political climate of fear and terror; and
WHEREAS, opposition leaders, human rights advocates, election monitors, and others advocating peacefully for a free Zimbabwe continue to be abducted, imprisoned or detained, including Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), Tendai Biti of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and human rights lawyer Eric Matinenga; and
WHEREAS, the government of Zimbabwe has maliciously limited the ability of humanitarian groups and non-governmental organizations to deliver critical aid to populations already suffering under escalating hyper-inflation, massive food shortages, and high rates of HIV/AIDS; and
WHEREAS, the people of Zimbabwe, despite widespread brutality and intimidation, have continued to courageously speak out against the violence, to demand that their voices be heard, and to push for free and fair elections despite the ruling party's brutal attempts to silence them; and
WHEREAS, the United States Congress has called for the immediate cessation of violence and has urged the U.N. Security Council to address the Zimbabwe crisis and to support a reso...
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