Tsvangirai visits injured Zimbabwean in UN building bomb attack

Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwean Prime Minister

Tsvangirai visits injured Zimbabwean in UN building bomb attack

Zimbabwean Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday visited a Zimbabwe national working for the United Nations (UN) who was injured during a bomb blast that ripped through the global organisation’s compound in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

“The Prime Minister visited the Marian Babanginda Hospital where he had gone to see Fidelis Mutsaurwa, a Zimbabwean injured at the UN bomb blast last week”, said Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka.

A suicide bomb blast rocked the UN compound in the Nigerian capital last Friday, killing at least 23 people. The Islamist group known as Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack.

Political support

Earlier in the day, he had met Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan at his official residence to brief him on the political situation in Zimbabwe.

President Jonathan said Nigeria would support all efforts by Zimbabwe and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), to ensure the conduct of peaceful, transparent and credible election in the southern African country.

He stated that all African countries have a responsibility to ensure that Zimbabwe does not go back to the crisis of the past with the consequent loss of lives.

Tsvangirai told President Jonathan that efforts were being made, under the auspices of the SADC to conduct free and fair election in Zimbabwe next year.

He said his country wanted Nigeria and the African Union to take an active role in the process, as this would create the peaceful environment needed for successful election in Zimbabwe.

Tsvangirai and his entourage left Abuja for Ivory Coast where he was expected to meet Alassane Dramane Ouattara, the Ivorian president who became president early this year following the ouster of Laurent Gbagbo.

NP/Susan/Ekata