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Opposition leader calls on supporters to “fight back”

    JOHANNESBURG

    The leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, has called on MDC supporters to “fight back against intimidation and violence” by pro-government groups.

    Speaking at an election rally at the weekend, Tsvangirai said that his party was not condoning violence, but that he was referring to “legitimate self-defence”.

    News reports said that about 17 MDC supporters where arrested when they began gathering at the rally at Glen View, outside the capital Harare.

    An MDC spokesman was quoted as saying that the arrests were part of a “continuing campaign of intimidation against the opposition”. “We’ve been denied radio, we’ve been denied television, we’ve even been denied a loud hailer. These elections will definitely not be free and fair because Mugabe will ensure that they are not,” he added.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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