By Dorrothy Moyo| The European Union ambassador to Zimbabwe has told president Emmerson Mnangagwa one he must never repeat the military terrorism of January 2019.

Ambassador Timo Olkkonen, said that Zimbabwe’s reputation was tarnished by the brutal crackdown on unarmed protestors in January.

The attacks loudly criticised by the United Nations, saw over 17 killed by live ammunition and several women reporting rape.

Writing on his Twitter portal, on Europe Day, Olkkonen said, “Violence and human rights violations in January resulted in the loss of lives and suffering, tarnished Zimbabwe’s image abroad and were a setback in EU-Zimbabwe relations. I hope we don’t see these events repeated!”

He was commenting on Europe Day which is observed on May 9 each year, marking the presentation of the Schuman Declaration in 1950.

This is what proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community, the forerunner to the European Union.

Meanwhile, the January protests were in response to Mnangagwa’s own decision to raise the price of fuel by over 150 per cent, making it the most expensive in the world, something which Russia criticised within days back then.