United Nations Radio

The Secretary-General of the Movement for Democratic Change, Tendai Biti, has warned of a complete militarization of the society in Zimbabwe in the aftermath of last month's elections.

Speaking to reporters following a closed Security Council discussion of the crisis in the country, he said Zimbabwe is now being run by what he called a "military quasi-civilian junta" chaired by President Robert Mugabe himself.

Mr. Biti said the state has systematically unleashed violence against the people of Zimbabwe, displacing at least 35,000 of them.

"In every district torture camps have been set up. People are disappearing.. Some of the torture tactics that are being used the world did not see them either in Rwanda in July of 1994 or during the long and ugly years of apartheid. So it is quite clear that there is a de facto state of emergency in the country."

Mr. Biti called on the Security Council to take a strong resolution against the government of Zimbabwe and the United Nations to urgently send a humanitarian envoy to the country.

Diane Bailey, United Nations.

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