Activists Warn of Rights Abuse Upsurge in Zimbabwe

Human rights activists¹ are warning that an upsurge of political violence in Zimbabwe is threatening reconciliation² and will make it impossible to hold free and fair elections due next year. The Human Rights Watch group issued the warning Tuesday in Johannesburg.
Human Rights Watch says politically-motivated abuses in Zimbabwe and the lack of accountability for them are a serious problem, two years after the formation of a power-sharing government that was meant to end such abuses and restore the rule of law.
Author Tiseko Kasambala said the report was a follow-up to the violence that occurred during elections three years ago in which some 100 opposition³ activists were killed and thousands were wounded.
"There have been no human rights reforms on the ground in Zimbabwe," said Kasambala. "In fact there has been no accountability for the killings⁴ and torture and other acts of violence that occurred in 2008. And without that kind of accountability we are likely to see a repeat of the chaos⁵ and the violence that we saw in 2008.
The violence began after then-opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round of the presidential elections. But longtime President Robert Mugabe won the runoff vote after Tsvangirai withdrew because of the violence.
Months of negotiations⁶ brokered⁷ by the Southern African Development Community led to a power-sharing agreement between Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change and Mugabe's ZANU-PF party. The accord brought the MDC and Tsvangirai, as prime minister, into a unity⁸ government with Mugabe.
Under the accord, the parties are to draft a new constitution and organize elections that many believe could be held next year.
The Human Rights Watch report says the agreement also calls for national reconciliation, but notes this has not occurred.
It says some individuals whose family members were killed in the violence identified certain neighbors as perpetrators, and they filed police reports. It says, however, the perpetrators are still at large and have even threatened the victims again.
Kasambala said there can be no healing unless justice is addressed. "We are pushing for the power-sharing government to immediately start investigations⁹ into the human rights violations¹⁰ as a sign that it is actually committed to ensuring justice for human rights abuses in the country. We believe this needs to be done before they can take any steps toward elections."
She called on SADC to be more forceful in pressing for justice and seeking to prevent more violence.

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

5 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

8 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

9 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

10 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。