The events of the first and second rounds of the Zimbabwean presidential election, which Robert Mugabe of ZANU-PF won on 27 June 2008 after his challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), withdrew from the process and declared it illegitimate, caused reactions from many international bodies.
[1]) The South African Development Community (SADC) criticised the election in a statement on 29 June, saying that it "did not represent the will of the people of Zimbabwe" and that "the prevailing environment impinged on the credibility of the electoral process".
Skelemani called for "expedited" mediation in Zimbabwe within "a defined time frame" that would be based on "mutual trust and good faith" and equal standing between the parties.
On 6 July, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband called on countries to "unite behind a tough, strong, clear Security Council resolution".
This resolution, drafted by the United States, proposes that assets belonging to a number of leading political figures be frozen and that their ability to travel abroad be restricted.
Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, suggested that the proposed resolution could establish a dangerous precedent,[15] while South Africa expressed concern that it could harm Mbeki's mediation efforts.
"[22] On 23 July, Angolan Foreign Minister João Bernardo de Miranda urged the EU to lift the sanctions, saying that they could interfere with negotiations between ZANU-PF and the MDC.
[21] At a G8 summit in Hokkaidō, the G8 leaders declared in a statement on 8 July that they considered Mugabe's leadership to be illegitimate and announced that they planned to "take further steps ... against those individuals responsible for the violence".
[14] According to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the G8 statement "made it clear that we would appoint a U.N. envoy and would impose new sanctions against an illegitimate regime which has blood on its hands."
[24] Speaking in Johannesburg on 10 July, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said that the election was not free and fair and expressed support for the appointment of another "high profile" mediator to work alongside Mbeki.
[26] Then, following an off-the-record meeting,[27] the Council issued a statement condemning "the campaign of violence against the political opposition" and expressing "its concern over the impact of the situation in Zimbabwe on the wider region.
[30] On 7 July the Security Council was briefed by the Deputy Secretary-General who said that observations "clearly indicate that the electoral process leading to the declared re-election of President Mugabe was seriously flawed.
"[31] The Zimbabwean mission to the UN said in a letter on 10 July that a proposed resolution drafted by the US would likely leave Zimbabwe in a lawless state like Somalia and cause a civil war if it was passed.
[34][35] The ambassador for Russia rejected the United Kingdom's interpretation of a recent statement at the G8 meeting that "We will take further steps, inter alia introducing financial and other measures against those individuals responsible for violence"[36] made any reference to actions in the Security Council.
[38] South African Permanent Representative Dumisani Kumalo criticised the resolution for being biased in favour of the MDC and against ZANU-PF, and he urged the Security Council to give Mbeki's mediation a chance without potentially undermining it by imposing sanctions.
[39] Zimbabwe's Minister of Information, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the Security Council vote, and he thanked "those who helped defeat international racism disguised as multilateral action at the UN".