[allAfrica.com] Head of Catholic Charity Calls for UN Arms Embargo Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi) NEWS 26 April 2008 Posted to the web 28 April 2008 Rome The president of the international Catholic charity Caritas Internationalis, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, has urged the UN Security Council to impose an immediate arms embargo on Zimbabwe. Caritas Internationalis, the umbrella organisation for 162 national Catholic charities, said international observers must also be sent to Zimbabwe to monitor human rights. Church leaders in that country said that without international intervention Zimbabweans face genocide. Caritas said that reports from within Zimbabwe of increased violence are deeply troubling and that the international community must prevent further arms reaching the country. A Chinese arms shipment was refused permission to unload in South Africa. Caritas urged all African countries to not allow the arms to be shipped through their territory. "No more arms must reach Zimbabwe unless there is the guarantee that they will not be used against the people. Church workers are reporting an upsurge in violence that is deeply troubling," Cardinal Maradiaga said. "The international community has a clear mandate to act by approving a UN Security Council resolution enforcing an arms embargo against the country. The UN must also act proactively by sending observers to Zimbabwe to monitor any human rights abuses. The Government of Zimbabwe should welcome international monitors." Cardinal Maradiaga further pointed out that as Pope Benedict XVI said at the UN last week, if states are unable to guarantee the protection of their people, the international community must intervene with the means provided in the UN Charter and in other international instruments. The Caritas president also urged respect for the democratic process in Zimbabwe. Results from elections in the country on March 29 have been withheld. ======================================================================================== Copyright © 2008 Catholic Information Service for Africa. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). ======================================================================================== [images//media.fastclick.net/w/ get.media?sid=7943&m=1&tp=1&d=s&c=1&f=b&v=1.4]