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Zimbabwe

Mrs. Tibaijuka, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy, meets Zimbabwe President

Harare, 29 June 2005 - Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy evaluating the humanitarian aspects of the recent evictions of some 200,000 poor people in Zimbabwe, on Wednesday met President Robert Mugabe and got the green light to go wherever she liked, a UN spokesman said.

Mrs. Tibaijuka, the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, had already visited a number of eviction sites around the capital Harare as well as government-sponsored relocation areas. She had also spoken to some of those affected by the evictions, the spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said.

"She will continue these visits in the coming days and will also meet with a wide array of civil society representatives," he said, adding that she would be the Secretary-General's eyes and ears on the ground and report on what exactly was happening.

On Monday, 10 UN Special Rapporteurs on human freedoms and rights expressed concern on about the forced evictions and related human rights violations in Zimbabwe and raised questions about the effects on supplies of water and food, education and health care, including HIV/AIDS treatment.