WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement on the Zimbabwean government’s excessive use of force in response to anti-government protests:

“Since President Mnangagwa’s election in July 2018, I have been waiting for indications that his government has taken a different path from the dark years of his predecessor, Robert Mugabe. However, I am dismayed to see that his security forces are violating Zimbabwean citizens’ right to peacefully assemble to express discontent with their government. If Mr. Mnangagwa truly wants to show that his government is a break from the past, he should immediately order the police and the military to cease using violence against unarmed protesters and must restore access to the internet and social media. In addition, he needs to order the immediate release of Pastor Evan Mawarire and other civil society activists who have been detained on politically-motivated charges.”

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