begin quote from:
Apparent military coup in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is under military control after army seizes power from Mugabe
Story highlights
- Army spokesman on state TV denies a military takeover underway
- President Robert Mugabe and family "safe," spokesman says
Are you in Zimbabwe? We want to hear how the current situation is affecting you. Contact CNN via WhatsApp at +1 347 322 0415. Please do not put yourself in any danger.
Harare, Zimbabwe (CNN)Zimbabwe's military leaders have seized control of the impoverished southern African nation, placing longtime leader Robert Mugabe under house arrest and deploying armored vehicles to the streets of the capital, Harare.
Mugabe,
93, the world's oldest living leader, was unable to leave his home,
according to Jacob Zuma, the President of neighboring South Africa.
Troops were reportedly stationed at Zimbabwe's Parliament and the
presidential palace.
In a dramatic televised statement early Wednesday, an army spokesman denied a military takeover was underway.
But the situation bore all the hallmarks of a coup: The military was in control of state TV in Harare, a significant army presence was at the city's international airport, and Mugabe has not been seen in public.
Key developments
Military in charge: An
army spokesman announced on the state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corp.
at 4 a.m. that it was conducting an operation to target "criminals"
close to Mugabe who were causing "social and economic suffering."
President's location: The
spokesman said Mugabe and his family were "safe." South Africa's Zuma
later said Mugabe had been confined to his home but was feeling fine. He
spoke with him by phone.
Situation on streets: The
capital was quiet, but there were lines outside banks. CNN saw army
checkpoints at key locations and armored vehicles along the streets.
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Residents in Zimbabwe's capital line up to withdraw money from the bank on November 15.
Hide Caption
6 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
A man in Harare reads the front page of a special edition of The Herald newspaper on November 15.
Hide Caption
7 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Two pedestrians pass behind an armored personnel carrier stationed at an intersection in Harare on November 15.
Hide Caption
8 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
An armored military vehicle is seen outside the building of the state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corp. on November 15.
Hide Caption
9 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers monitor traffic in Harare on November 15 as the military set up checkpoints at key locations in the city.
Hide Caption
10 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
In
a screen grab of a TV broadcast on the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corp.,
Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo reads a statement saying the military was
conducting an operation to target "criminals" close to the President who
were causing "social and economic suffering." He denied a coup was
underway.
Hide Caption
11 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
An
armored vehicle patrols a street in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Wednesday,
November 15, after an apparent coup in the country. In a dramatic
televised statement, an army spokesman denied that a military takeover was underway, but the situation bore all the hallmarks of one. The military said President Robert Mugabe and his family were "safe."
Hide Caption
1 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers seal off a main road to the parliament building in Harare on November 15.
Hide Caption
2 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
A military vehicle blocks a main road to the parliament building.
Hide Caption
3 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers patrol a street in Harare on November 15.
Hide Caption
4 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers
inspect a vehicle on a road leading to Mugabe's office in Harare on
November 15. The military intervention came after weeks of political
turmoil in which Mugabe had sacked his powerful vice president.
Hide Caption
5 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Residents in Zimbabwe's capital line up to withdraw money from the bank on November 15.
Hide Caption
6 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
A man in Harare reads the front page of a special edition of The Herald newspaper on November 15.
Hide Caption
7 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Two pedestrians pass behind an armored personnel carrier stationed at an intersection in Harare on November 15.
Hide Caption
8 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
An armored military vehicle is seen outside the building of the state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corp. on November 15.
Hide Caption
9 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers monitor traffic in Harare on November 15 as the military set up checkpoints at key locations in the city.
Hide Caption
10 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
In
a screen grab of a TV broadcast on the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corp.,
Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo reads a statement saying the military was
conducting an operation to target "criminals" close to the President who
were causing "social and economic suffering." He denied a coup was
underway.
Hide Caption
11 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
An
armored vehicle patrols a street in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Wednesday,
November 15, after an apparent coup in the country. In a dramatic
televised statement, an army spokesman denied that a military takeover was underway, but the situation bore all the hallmarks of one. The military said President Robert Mugabe and his family were "safe."
Hide Caption
1 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers seal off a main road to the parliament building in Harare on November 15.
Hide Caption
2 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
A military vehicle blocks a main road to the parliament building.
Hide Caption
3 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers patrol a street in Harare on November 15.
Hide Caption
4 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers
inspect a vehicle on a road leading to Mugabe's office in Harare on
November 15. The military intervention came after weeks of political
turmoil in which Mugabe had sacked his powerful vice president.
Hide Caption
5 of 11
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Residents in Zimbabwe's capital line up to withdraw money from the bank on November 15.
Hide Caption
6 of 11
What happened?
A simmering succession battle in the ruling Zanu-PF party came to a head two weeks ago when Mugabe sacked his powerful vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mugabe's
decision fueled speculation he was preparing to anoint his wife, Grace,
as his successor. Grace Mugabe, 52, is widely disliked within the
party's old guard, while Mnangagwa enjoys wide support in the military.
The
first signs that a military intervention was underway came Tuesday
afternoon as armored vehicles were seen near the capital.
The
situation escalated with Wednesday morning's announcement, when Maj.
Gen. S.B. Moyo addressed the country on state TV, vehemently denying the
operation was a coup.
"To both
our people and the world beyond our borders, we wish to make it
abundantly clear that this is not a military takeover of government," he
said.
"As soon as we accomplish our mission we expect (the) situation to return to normalcy."
Moyo
told members of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces that all leave was canceled
and soldiers were expected to return to their barracks immediately. He
urged Zimbabwe's other security services to cooperate for "the good of
our country."
Moyo said the
security of Mugabe and his family was "guaranteed" and said the
President was safe but gave no information of his whereabouts.
There were reports Wednesday that officials were being arrested.
Military secures key sites
Soldiers secured the Robert Mugabe International Airport and checked vehicles and IDs.
Armored
personnel carriers were seen at several locations in downtown Harare,
including at the high court and government buildings.
There
was no sign of the Zimbabwe police force, and the only security forces
on the streets were the military. The atmosphere in the capital was
calm, but traffic was lighter than usual.
People wait Wednesday to withdraw cash outside a bank in Harare.
A
resident, who wished not to be named for security reasons, described
the city as "very quiet," though shops were open and buses and taxis
appeared to be running normally.
"Many people have just stayed home," she said.
She added there was a sense of "excitement in the air" and that social media was humming over what might be happening.
But there were signs of nervousness: Photos showed long lines at ATMs and at banks.
Political reaction
Zuma called on Zimbabwe's Defense Forces to show restraint, adding that he hoped they "will not move and do more damage."
"I
am hoping that the situation is going to be controlled so peace and
stability comes back to Zimbabwe," the South African leader said.
South
African Defense and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
and State Security Minister Bongani Bongo arrived in Zimbabwe for
discussions with authorities, according to the South African Department
of International Relations and Cooperation.
UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed for "calm, nonviolence
and restraint," deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement to CNN.
In Zimbabwe, political figures once loyal to Mugabe were beginning to turn away from him.
The military was in control of the streets and key sites in Harare on Wednesday.
In
a statement praising the military, Chris Mutsvangwa, who heads the
influential Zimbabwe War Veterans Association, called the move a
"bloodless coup."
"We salute the
patriotic and gallant forces of Zimbabwe for once again coming to the
decisive rescue of the nation," the statement said.
"The populace has long suffered under a self-saving dictatorship that had become an oligarch with dynastic delusions."
Mutsvangwa
is an ally of the deposed vice president, but his veterans group has
historically been loyal to Mugabe, who led a violent campaign against
British colonial rule and was elected Prime Minister after Zimbabwe
gained independence in 1980 and then President seven years later.
Zimbabwe first lady Grace Mugabe addresses a Zanu-PF party youth rally in Marondera in June.
However,
the veterans group has been fiercely critical of Grace Mugabe, who has
no connection to Zimbabwe's independence campaign. Her extravagant
shopping trips and political maneuvering have made her a polarizing figure.
Decades under Mugabe
Mugabe
has ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist. On winning power after British
rule, he moved swiftly to extinguish political opposition. He ordered a
violent crackdown that led to a string of massacres in opposition
strongholds. The country's Fifth Brigade is believed to have killed up
to 20,000 people, mostly supporters of Mugabe's main political rival.
But
his hardline policies pushed the country into poverty. Its flourishing
economy began to disintegrate after a program of land seizures from
white farmers, and agricultural output plummeted and inflation soared.
Accused
of rigging elections and quashing any sign of political opposition,
Mugabe remains the only leader many Zimbabweans have ever known. He once
infamously claimed that "only God" could remove him from office.
He faced criticism for throwing a lavish birthday party last year in
a region hit by food shortages and drought. But until this week he had
succeeded in holding off all challenges to his leadership.
In the House of Commons, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described Mugabe as a power-hungry despot who would not be missed.
"This
House will remember the brutal litany of his 37 years in office: The
elections he rigged and stole, the murder and torture of his opponents,
the illegal seizure of land -- leading to the worst hyperinflation in
recorded history measured in the billions of percentage points -- and
forcing the abolition of the Zimbabwean dollar," Johnson said.
No comments:
Post a Comment