Zimbabwe: Headed for Civil War?

Bloomberg.com

Supporters of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change have retaliated against attacks by President Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front, New York-based Human Rights Watch said.


``The emergence of tit-for-tat retaliatory attacks between Zanu-PF and MDC supporters could further escalate the violence, putting the general population at greater risk,'' Human Rights Watch said in an e-mailed report.


The violence follows the establishment by Zanu-PF supporters of torture camps in Zimbabwe's rural areas, HRW said. Zanu-PF is using the camps to punish hundreds of MDC supporters for voting for the opposition in the southern African nation's March 29 presidential and parliamentary elections, it said.


The opposition MDC was poised to win control of the country's House of Assembly after 18 of the 23 contested seats were confirmed today, the chairman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said. The victory would leave the southern African nation's House of Assembly in opposition hands for the first time in 28 years.


The electoral commission, handpicked by Mugabe, was recounting 23 of the country's 210 parliamentary seats following a complaint from Mugabe's party, which said the MDC had bribed electoral officials to rig the election. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has claimed an ``outright victory'' in the presidential election, while Zanu-PF says a rerun will be necessary.


George Chiweshe, the electoral commission chairman, said today that presidential candidates would likely be invited to verify results of the presidential poll on April 28. Delays in the recounting of parliamentary seats and the announcement of Zimbabwe's presidential elections have led to increasing tension. International pressure has also escalated with calls for an announcement of the presidential poll coming from within Africa as well as Europe, the U.S. and the United Nations.


MDC supporters have burned homes belonging to Zanu-PF backers and officials in parts of Mashonaland East and Manicaland provinces, Human Rights Watch said, citing eyewitnesses. ``The scope of these incidents bears no comparison to the widespread state-sponsored violence by Zanu-PF and its allies,'' the human rights group said.


At least 15 MDC members have died in political violence after the elections, MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said in a telephone interview from Harare today.


``It could be higher because Zanu-PF, using the so-called war veterans, the police and the army, have sealed off villages,'' Chamisa said. ``We have confirmed 15 deaths, including activist Tabitha Marume, who died near Makoni after being shot in the stomach.'' Makoni, a former Zanu-PF party stronghold, is in eastern Zimbabwe.


Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena didn't answer or return calls from Bloomberg News to verify the number of deaths.


Zimbabwean police yesterday arrested 215 MDC supporters in a raid on the opposition party's Harare headquarters, the state- controlled Herald reported, citing Bvudzijena. He declined to confirm the number of arrests when contacted by Bloomberg News earlier today.


Police also searched the offices of the independent Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network, the Harare-based newspaper said on its Web site.


``We believe some of them are responsible for post-election violence and have burned houses belonging to Zanu-PF supporters,'' Bvudzijena said. ``We will weed out those we believe are guilty.''


The whereabouts of these people is unknown, Chamisa said.


``The people arrested had come here to escape violence in the rural areas,'' Chamisa said. ``Many of them had been badly beaten or had their houses burnt to the ground and we now fear for their fate in the hands of the police, who act solely for Zanu-PF.''


British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in a statement today called for a United Nations mission to investigate the violence and human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. Brown said Britain would step up diplomatic efforts before a UN Security Council meeting on April 29.