Paper warns: end violence or face bloodbath

The Financial Gazette warned President Robert Mugabe and his militias from continued violence in the run-up to the 2002 presidential elections saying they risked a bloodbath from an anguished and inflamed nation.

“Zimbabweans cannot and must not tolerate this organised anarchy, which is clearly meant to intimidate them and perpetuate Mugabe’s tyranny,“ the paper said.

“Mugabe must come down from his high pedestal now and order his mobs to rapidly end the violence or risk a bloodbath from anguished and inflamed nation. . . .”

Full cable:

Viewing cable 02HARARE103, MEDIA REPORT ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

101242Z Jan 02

UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ1655

PAGE 01       HARARE 00103 101347Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   A-00     ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DODE-00 DS-00

EUR-00   UTED-00 VC-00   TEDE-00 INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00

NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   NFAT-00

SAS-00     /003W

——————55D993 101347Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0702

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000103

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, SCHLACHTER, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P,

INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE

¶1.   UNDER HEADLINE “END VIOLENCE OR FACE BLOODBATH,” THE

INDEPENDENT WEEKLY “THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE” DEDICATED ITS

JANUARY 10 EDITORIAL TO URGING PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE’S

GOVERNMENT TO STOP “THE ORGY OF VIOLENCE” IN ZIMBABWE.

EXCERPTS:

¶2.   “. . .ZIMBABWEANS ARE BEING SUBJECTED TO OPEN AND

INCREASING TERROR BY PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE’S

MILITIA. . .SIX OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN KILLED

AND INJURED IN THE ORGY OF VIOLENCE, UNLEASHED ON THE

LAND IN THE FAINT HOPE THAT MUGABE WILL BE RE-ELECTED

COME MARCH. ZIMBABWEANS CANNOT AND MUST NOT TOLERATE

THIS ORGANIZED ANARCHY, WHICH IS CLEARLY MEANT TO

INTIMIDATE THEM AND PERPETUATE MUGABE’S TYRANNY. .

.MUGABE. . .MUST COME DOWN FROM HIS HIGH PEDESTAL NOW

AND ORDER HIS MOBS TO RAPIDLY END THE VIOLENCE OR RISK

A BLOODBATH FROM ANGUISHED AND INFLAMED NATION. . . .”

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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