HARARE – President Robert Mugabe on Monday called for an end to violence that has resurfaced ahead of possible elections this year, in what appeared to be a bid to mollify regional leaders who have hardened their attitude over political violence in Zimbabwe.

Mugabe told thousands of people commemorating the country’s 31 years of independence from Britain to shun violence, which has scarred previous elections since 2000.

The 87-year-old Mugabe, who appeared without his wife Grace, who is seeking medical help in Singapore, has held power since independence.

“We are one. We may have differences but we belong to each other and we belong to each other as one family, please no fighting, no violence,” Mugabe said to cheers from the crowd. “Let there be peace, let there be peace, more peace, more unity.”

Mugabe’s push for elections this year has stoked tensions and political violence between his ZANU-PF and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which regional leaders strongly condemned at a summit last month.

The MDC has warned that rushed elections this year without the full implementation of a power-sharing pact signed in 2008, a new constitution and political and electoral reforms would lead to bloodshed.

Mugabe said while the unity government he formed with Tsvangirai and deputy prime minister Arthur Mutambara was beset with some outright misunderstandings, it continued to be the basis for peace and security in the country.

He attacked Western countries for continuing to impose sanctions on senior members of ZANU-PF and said he was disappointed by Zimbabwe’s failure to re-engage the European Union and United States for removal of the sanctions.

Brussels and Washington have imposed a financial and travel ban on more than a hundred senior ZANU-PF officials over charges the party has continuously engaged in political violence and rigged elections since 2000.

Mugabe also attacked the West for bombing Libya, where one of his few strong allies Muammar Gaddafi has since the end of February faced a violent rebellion similar to that which has swept dictators of Egypt and Tunisia from power.

Mugabe said Zimbabwe’s food security was under threat from a mid-season drought in many parts of the country. The country has faced food shortages since 2001 linked to the start of Mugabe’s seizure of white-owned commercial farms to resettle blacks.

“While the early rains gave us hope of a good harvest, our farmers having done their best, many parts of the country unfortunately succumbed to a prolonged dry spell which has threatened our food security,” Mugabe said. “Government is assessing the situation to establish whether we need to import maize.”

Mugabe promised that the government would review salaries of government workers.

Zimbabwe’s civil servants are demanding a minimum wage of $500, more than double the average $200 which most government workers earn and have threatened to strike to force the government to accede to their demands.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti has repeatedly said the government does not have the money and already spends 60 percent of its revenues on salaries for civil servants.

But Mugabe has insisted that the government will have to find money to fund pay hikes for its workers.

By Staff reporter and agencies