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New Prime Minister Could End Political Violence in Zimbabwe

LibertySugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:30:25 -0800

After 11 months of devastating violence, Zimbabwe's waring factions came together in a sign of unity today. President Robert Mugabe presided over the swearing in of his nemesis, Morgan Tsvangirai, who became prime minister.

Last March, Tsvangirai ran against Mugabe for the presidency. Tsvangirai claimed victory, but Mugabe would not give up his seat, and held a discredited run-off election. Since then civilians have suffered horrific violence, usually at the hands of Mugabe-controlled security forces.

Today, Tsvangirai presented his intention to turn the page. After his rival swore him in, he declared:

We must build on this unity by turning our swords into plowshares. . . . Political violence must end today. We can no longer afford brother against brother because one happened to have a different political opinion. I can assure that the culture of impunity and violation of human rights must end, and it must end today.

Hopefully, this power-sharing deal will prevail as a powerful example for other places suffering political violence.

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Front Page: Fed Pumps in Money, Petraeus Leaves Iraq, Rivals Sign Power Sharing Agreement

CitizenSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 07:00:17 -0700

Fed Pumps in Money:
The Federal Reserve has added $70 billion of reserves into banks, the largest cash infusion since the attacks of 9/11. They're hoping to reverse a surge in borrowing costs caused by the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Meanwhile, stocks in Europe, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong all fell sharply.

Petraeus Leaves Iraq:
Gen. David Petraeus has handed over command of the US military in Iraq to Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno amid praise from Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Upon leaving, Petraeus said, ". . . the reality is that there has been significant progress but there are still serious challenges.” His successor Odierno warned of the progress saying, "gains are fragile and reversible."

Rivals Sign Power Sharing Agreement:
And end to 28 years of uninterrupted power, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has signed an agreement with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to divide the responsibilities for the troubled country. Mugabe said of the plan, “we are committed to the deal. We will do our best, and Tsvangirai said it means he, “sees the return of hope to all our lives.” Among the audience watching the signing were many opposition workers who had been in hiding after government sponsored violence forced them to flee.

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Front Page: Hurricane Ike Tonight, English Channel Fire Burns, Zimbabwe Rivals Strike Power Agreement

CitizenSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:00:51 -0700

Hurricane Ike Tonight:
Hurricane Ike is expected to make landfall with a direct hit to Galveston and Houston, with a population of 5.6 million. The National Hurricane center was crystal clear with their warning for evacuation: "Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family one- or two-story homes will face certain death." Forecasters expect water 22 feet above sea level.

English Channel Fire Burns:
Firefighters are still putting out small fires after a blaze shut down undersea traffic in the tunnel between England and France. The tunnel remains closed to train traffic after a fire broke out yesterday afternoon in a truck aboard a 30-car shuttle train. The fire is the most serious incident since the tunnel opened in 1994.

Zimbabwe Rivals Strike Power Agreement:
President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai have agreed to a power-sharing deal after more than a month of discussion. Though specific details of the deal have not been released, the fact that Mugabe has released any authority signals a loosening of his grip over Zimbabwe. Worry remains that the deal has too much crossover power to grant the country the stability it needs.

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AIDS Group Says Zimbabwe Using Rape As a Tool of Terror

LibertySugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:15:57 -0700

The Zimbabwe government's youth militia use the most horrific tactic - rape - as a tool to terrorize those suspected of sympathizing with the opposition. President Robert Mugabe's ruling party has been carrying out a campaign of political terror since opposition supporters contested his election.

Today's New York Times paints a graphic picture of how many of Zimbabwe's women have been abused, humiliated, and raped, often in front of their families. State hospitals have turned away rape victims, who are often in pain and bleeding, and looking to prevent pregnancy, HIV, or other STDs.

To find out how an upcoming power-sharing deal might mean the perpetrators never see justice, read more.

The advocacy group AIDS-Free World hopes that laboratory and photographic evidence of all these atrocities, along with documentation of the victims' stories, will help make a strong legal case in a potential war crimes trail down the road . . . if there is a trial.

Mugabe's party and the opposition are rumored to sign a power-sharing deal this weekend. Some believe that Mugabe's party will not agree to the deal unless it includes immunity from international justice. Should the deal include immunity from such atrocities like rape for political gains, if it means the violence will end sooner?

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Front Page: Cyclone Recovery to Top $1 Billion, Obama in Iraq, Zimbabwe Rivals Near Deal

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:01:34 -0700

Cyclone Recovery to Top $1 Billion:
Cyclone recovery efforts in Myanmar are expected to top $1 billion according to a report released this morning by the UN and ASEAN. The aid will cover the still pressing needs for food, agriculture, and housing, and the country still needs everything from clean water to fishing nets and buffaloes. $178 million has been given already. The May cyclone left at least 138,000 dead or missing.

Obama Arrives in Iraq:
Barack Obama met today with Iraqi officials and military commanders about the conflict in Iraq - the ending of which he's made a feature of his campaign. In Basra, Obama met with US, UK, and Iraqi military leaders before traveling to Baghdad, where he is to meet Gen. David Petraeus and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Zimbabwe Rivals to Meet:
The ruling party of Robert Mugabe who won last month's contested and violent election, and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai are expected to sign a deal planning talks to end the political crisis in Zimbabwe. The deal, mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki includes the formation of a unity government and election reforms. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe has just introduced a $100 billion dollar bill, as the official inflation rate surpasses 2.2 million percent.

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Front Page: Mugabe at African Union Summit, Bush Signs War Bill, India Goes Solar

CitizenSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 06:58:14 -0700

Mugabe at African Union Summit:
Newly sworn-in for a sixth term as president, Robert Mugabe who wrested a win from violent elections in Zimbabwe, is traveling in his official capacity. Mugabe arrived in Egypt today for an African Union summit, under pressure from the UN and his neighbors to create peace with his adversaries, perhaps difficult as world leaders have called the contest illegitimate because of bloodshed and intimidation, being neither free, fair, nor credible. The UN deputy secretary general, told the African leaders "we are facing an extremely grave crisis. This is the single greatest challenge to regional stability in Southern Africa, not only because of its terrible humanitarian and security consequences, but because of the dangerous political precedent it sets.” US Secretary of State Rice has also urged strong international action against Zimbabwe.

Bush Signs War Bill:
Moments ago, President Bush signed $162 billion war spending plan that constitutes the budget for military action in Iraq and Afghanistan for the remainder of his term. The spending plan approved by Congress also includes an increase of GI Bill college benefits, and a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits. This brings the total of money approved by Congress to more than $650 billion in the past five years.
India Goes Solar:
The Indian government has just announced a plan to confront the threat posed by climate change. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the plan focuses on sustainable sources of energy and that the development of India's capacity to tap solar power would be central to the strategy. Though India's carbon emissions are predicted to rise, Singh says of the plan, "our vision is to make India's economic development energy efficient. Our people have a right to economic and social development and to discard the ignominy of widespread poverty."

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Front Page: Voters Led to Polls in Zimbabwe, N. Korea Blows, al-Qaeda Figure Dead

CitizenSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:00:10 -0700

Voters Led to Polls in Zimbabwe:
As the Zimbabwe election dawns, any voter turnout could be credited to fear. Marshals are rounding up and leading voters to polling stations, with reports that voters fear punishment or even death if they can't produce the red-tipped finger that signifies a vote. One woman says, "I've got no option but to go and vote so that I can be safe." Not just a vote, a vote for current President Robert Mugabe, as a man concurs, “I voted for Mugabe because I didn’t want to risk my life.” Voters are being told to copy down the serial number on their ballot so that it could later be confirmed that they voted for Mugabe. Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai (who dropped out on Sunday) said, “today is not an election. Today is a shameful humiliation, another tragic day in our nation’s history.”

North Korea Blows:
A huge explosion rocks North Korea as the country demolishes its nuclear cooling tower, one day after agreeing to release the details of it's nuclear program. The tower was the largest visual symbol of the problematic program; its destruction is seen as "a significant and very important step," according to a State Department official.

al-Qaeda Figure Dead:
The US military reports that a militant killed earlier this week has been identified as the leader of al-Qaeda in Mosul. The man whose goes by the name Abu Khalaf had planned and executed many attacks before being shot and killed by US troops during a raid in Mosul. For the past month, US and Iraqi forces have been battling to drive al-Qaeda from the city, which US and Iraqi officials say is al-Qaeda's last urban stronghold in Iraq. Mosul has seen several large attacks in past days, directed toward local anti-Qaeda leaders.

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Front Page: Zimbabwe Election Moves Forward, Female Suicide Bomber Attacks, Weather Slows Typhoon Rescue

CitizenSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:58:25 -0700

Zimbabwe Election Moves Forward: After withdrawing yesterday from the run-off election in ZImbabwe, Tsvangirai has said today that he will negotiate with his rival, sitting president Robert Mugabe, if the political violence stops. He said, "We are prepared to negotiate with ZANU-PF but of course it is important that certain principles are accepted before the negotiations take place. One of the preconditions is that this violence against the people must be stopped." Though at this point opposition leaders Tsvangirai has pulled out of the election, it will proceed as planned on Sunday. He says party militias have killed 86 of his supporters and more than 60 opposition supporters have been arrested.

Female Suicide Bomber Attacks: Yesterday, the latest attack in a wave of female suicide bombers killed 15 and wounded more than 40 others in central Baquba. Seven of the dead and 10 of the wounded were Iraqi police officers. The female bombing was the most devastating of four attacks in Diyala Province yesterday that left at least 25 people dead and close to 60 wounded. The bomber who struck the provincial capital was wearing a vest padded with powerful explosives and laced with small projectiles. The magnitude of the blast points to an increased sophistication of the bomb design, which witnesses described as unusually strong.
Weather Slows Typhoon Rescue: Rescue efforts in the capsized ferry accident in the Philippines yesterday were hampered by heavy wind and rains, leading hundreds of ferry passengers, including as many as 45 children, to be feared dead after the devastating typhoon. Rescuers found only a few survivors. The Red Cross reported that at least 137 people had been killed in the typhoon, not including six confirmed dead from the sinking of the ferry, which had been carrying more than 700 passengers and crew members when it went down on Saturday.

Opposition Leader Pulls Out Following Violence in Zimbabwe

CitizenSugar — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 09:17:05 -0700

Today, Zimbabwe’s opposition party, the MDC, has announced it will withdraw from the June 27 run-off against current President Robert Mugabe citing among other reasons, escalating violence at the polls. Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai said his opponent Robert Mugabe had declared war, and that his party would not be part of his war.

Tsvangirai said upon withdrawing, "conditions as of today do not permit the holding of a credible poll. Given the totality of these circumstances, we believe a credible election is impossible. We can't ask the people to cast their vote on June 27 when that vote will cost their lives. We will no longer participate in this violent sham of an election."

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Tsvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has reported that dozens of their supporters have been murdered. An MDC spokesman painted an alarming picture of recent events: “People are being abducted at night. Our grassroots activists are being subjected to terror. Some of them are staying in the bushes and mountains to avoid Zanu-PF militias (pro-Mugabe).”

Mugabe's recent response to the challenge over his rule? He said that "only God" could remove him. "The MDC will never be allowed to rule this country - never ever. Only God who appointed me will remove me - not the MDC, not the British."

It seems that list now includes voters as well.

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Militia in Zimbabwe Attacks, Turns Election Violence Into Terror

CitizenSugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:00:22 -0700

The pending presidential run-off in Zimbabwe has made the terrible journey from suspiciously unfair to savage. People are being mutilated and burned alive. Current president Robert Mugabe's militia forces arrived at the house of opposition (MDC) leader Patson Chipiro last Friday. Finding his wife home, the men brutalized her body, locked her in her hut, and threw a fire-bomb through the window.

When Chipiro arrived home, he found his three brick huts engulfed in flames and couldn't find his wife of 29 years anywhere. He said, “I was trying to put the fire out. I thought my wife was hiding in the bushes.” The his four-year-old nephew broke the news. “He ran to me. He said, ‘Auntie has been beaten and they threw her in the fire’.”

Yesterday, Chipiro's wife died, her charred limbs frozen outstretched so the coffin wouldn't close. When Chipiro tried to report the crime, he was first given a form that purposely left our the cause of death - had an officer not intervened, he would have been left voiceless. His wife's attackers came from a nearby ruling party (Zanu-PF) militia camp. Chipiro says, “these youths are taught cruelty. They get used to murdering. They enjoy murdering. They are doing it for money.”

He's scared the attackers will come back for him. Seventy local MDC supporters are camped out in front of his home for protection, and he remains resolute despite these crushing odds. “I am very frightened,” he said. “They want to kill me. But I have no alternative. My presence here as a leader is very important. If I leave, everyone else will leave. I intend to fight the battle, from here.”

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