Zimbabwe opposition leader leaves Dutch embassy

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai,
outside the court in Harare March 13,
2007. Tsvangirai who took refuge at
the Netherlands embassy in Harare left
after stay of more than a week.

01 July, 2008

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The Netherlands' Foreign Ministry says Zimbabwe's opposition leader has left the Dutch Embassy in Harare.

Ministry spokesman Rob Dekker says Morgan Tsvangirai departed Monday after he decided the situation in Zimbabwe was calm enough for him to return to his home.

Dekker says embassy staff will remain in close contact and that Tsvangirai is welcome to return if he feels unsafe again.

Tsvangirai won the opening round of Zimbabwe's elections, but withdrew from the runoff June 22 because of state-sponsored violence against his supporters. President Robert Mugabe claimed victory in Friday's widely discredited election and is attending an African Union summit in Egypt.