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The World Council of Churches (WCC) on 24 June condemned mass forced evictions in Zimbabwe and called on the country's government to immediately stop them.

In a statement issued by its International Affairs director's office, the WCC labeled the evictions that have left hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans homeless as "an operation of segregation against the working poor".

"To carry out such acts of cruelty," the statement says, "shows clearly that the government is losing the moral and ethical ground for leadership, healing and reconciliation."

The WCC statement affirmed and supported the recent messages of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference (ZCBC), which condemned the so-called Operation Murambatsvina because of the"untold suffering" caused and its "cruel and inhumane means".

While calling on the government to "urgently address the pressing needs" of the evacuees, the WCC affirmed that "churches and relief organizations should also be given unrestricted access to the displaced persons".

If Zimbabwe is to be reconciled, rebuilt and healed, the WCC statement affirms, its government should "dismantle the restrictions on fundamental freedoms" and initiate dialogue with the opposition, churches and civil society.

Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, a WCC-related global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide, is working in Zimbabwe.

The full text of the WCC statement is available at:

www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/international/zimbabweevictions.html