Zimbabwe on Brink of Anarchy as Mugabe Condones Violence

The situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate as President Robert Mugabe's actions are seen as condoning violence against white farmers and members of the opposition. Despite the murders of a white farmer and two members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Mugabe has refused to order the squatters to leave the farms and has suggested that the white farmers are MDC supporters. The Foreign Office has expressed its grave concerns about the situation, with Foreign Secretary Robin Cook describing it as "very grave" and Foreign Office minister Peter Hain calling for Mugabe to "get a grip" on the situation.

Key Takeaways:

• Five white farmers were abducted from a police station where they had sought refuge after going to the aid of their murdered colleague, David Stevens.
• The Foreign Office was equally alarmed by the assassination of two members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
• Western intelligence sources said Mugabe had recently ordered a crackdown on the opposition and predicted that MDC members would be targeted.
• The MDC had informed the British government that they had firm evidence that MDC leaders faced the threat of assassination.
• President Mugabe declined to order the squatters to leave the farms and refused to tell the police to take action to protect the white farmers and their black laborers.
• Mugabe suggested that the white farmers were MDC supporters and blamed them for the violence.
• The Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, accused Mugabe of overseeing "the destruction of his own country" and demanded that the government stop the occupation of the farms before there were any more deaths.
• The British government will phone a number of African leaders to urge them to give the same message to Mugabe.
• The Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has offered to mediate in the crisis.

Statistics:

• At least two members of the MDC are reported to have been killed in the violence.
• Five white farmers, including David Stevens, have been murdered in the past week.
• Over 1,000 farms are reported to have sit-ins and demonstrations.
• The Foreign Office has been pressing for a general election in Zimbabwe to be free and fair, and overseen by international monitors.

Sources:

• Ewen MacAskill and Andrew Meldrum, "Zimbabwe in danger of descent into anarchy", The Guardian
• The Guardian, "Spiralling violence in Zimbabwe", May [no date given]
• The Guardian, "Cook accuses Mugabe of destruction of his own country", May [no date given]