Zimbabwe grabs opposition chief ahead of summit
Zimbabwe grabs opposition chief ahead of summitBy Reuters
Wednesday March 28, 2007 [15:44]
Zimbabwe's Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) lies in his hospital bed in Harare March 14, 2007. Zimbabwe police stormed the main opposition party headquarters and arrested Tsvangirai on Wednesday as African leaders gathered in Tanzania to debate Zimbabwe's escalating political crisis.
Zimbabwe's Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) lies in his hospital bed in Harare March 14, 2007. Zimbabwe police stormed the main opposition party headquarters and arrested Tsvangirai on Wednesday as African leaders gathered in Tanzania to debate Zimbabwe's escalating political crisis.
Police stormed the main Zimbabwean opposition party headquarters and arrested its leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday as African leaders gathered in Tanzania to debate Zimbabwe's escalating political crisis.
Tsvangirai, who opposition spokesmen say was badly beaten after an earlier police crackdown this month, was among a number of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) officials held when heavily armed riot police entered the party's Harare offices, the MDC said.
The arrests brought immediate condemnation from Britain, the former colonial power, and from the European Union.
Police said they had no information on the arrests, but confirmed officers were looking for people connected to a string of petrol bomb attacks which Mugabe's government says are part of an opposition "terror" campaign to drive him from power.
Government sources said more people were likely to be arrested in the coming days, including opposition politicians and journalists the authorities accuse of trying to incite a military coup against Mugabe.
"Some people have just gone too far, talking and writing recklessly and they are going to be held to account," one source said.
The raid increased pressure on African leaders to use a special summit beginning in Tanzania on Wednesday to censure Mugabe, who has faced a firestorm of criticism for violently cracking down on opponents of his 27-year rule.
Labels: ZIMBABWE
posted by MrK @ 4:42 PM
1 Comments:
How do you know who you can trust. First of all, why is the word 'grabs' used in connection with an arrest? First President Mugabe 'grabbed' land, now he 'grabs' Tsvangirai?
We have seen the shutdown of the nation's website during the visit of Hu in Zambia. (And not a word in the western press.)
My guess this is the same thing. They are trying to prevent any kind of confrontation during the summit in Tanzania. I would say both are fearful and undemocratic acts.
I haven't heard of anything about these 'petrol bomb attacks' either. Either it is the government creating a pretext, or it is the MDC trying to create the image of chaos, or using 'School Of The Americas' type destabilisation tactics.
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