Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chair of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, issued the following statement on April 18, Zimbabwe Independence Day:
Today I extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes to the people of Zimbabwe on the 38th anniversary of the country’s independence. Their aspirations to freedom and peace have been stymied far too often since that time by strongman rule, government corruption and a repression of freedoms of speech and assembly. With elections scheduled for later this year, the country is at a crossroads and has a chance to determine if it will see a peaceful future or one of continued political regression; the world is watching to see if the elections will indeed be free and fair, and if the rule of law and freedoms of speech and assembly are respected.
