Zimbabwe deploys armed police against mutinous soldiers
Zimbabwe deploys military police in Harare after rioting by mutinous soldiers
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Tuesday, 02, Dec 2008 06:56
Zimbabwe has deployed its military police on the streets of Harare, the capital city, following fears of mutiny after soldiers rioted yesterday over the economic and humanitarian situation besetting the southern African nation.
The strike action by the soldiers, the second in less than a week, follows warnings by the United Nations official in Zimbabwe, Agostinho Zacaria, that the hunger stricken nation risks being another failed state like Somalia.
However, the Zimbabwe national army's (ZNA) Major Aliphios Makotore told inthenews.co.uk: "Military police have been deployed to restore law and order in the country.
"Military police will not stand by while undisciplined groups of soldiers destabilise the country, through lawlessness. They will heavily be dealt with."
Soldiers - frustrated after failing to access their money at the banks due to cash shortages after spending hours on the queues – yesterday looted shops and beat up civilians.
They also fought with the police officers. Zimbabwe faces serious cash shortages in the clearest sign of the dire economic situation.
The long-running economic crisis is seen by the word record breaking inflation rate at over 231 million per cent and shortages of water, food and electricity.
However, through all this, the army has been the most loyal to president Robert Mugabe, always ready to use brutal tactics to keep public discontent against economic collapse in check.