Military coup in Zimbabwe 2017

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Robert Mugabe (2015)
Emmerson Mnangagwa in June 2015

The military coup in Zimbabwe in 2017 led to the dismissal of the then about 37 years ruling Prime Minister and later President of Zimbabwe - Robert Mugabe - and establishing his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa in this office .

course

Escalation

In the days leading up to the military coup , increasing differences between the ZANU-PF , the ruling party of 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe, and the leadership of the Zimbabwean military became apparent. The immediate cause for this was the sacking of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa by President Mugabe the week before. Before his dismissal, the vice-president had been seen as the most promising candidate for the successor to the presidency, ahead of Grace Mugabe , Mugabe's wife, who had long been accused by political observers of having political ambitions and closing the threads of politics in the background pull. The dismissal of Mnangagwa was publicly criticized by the army chief General Constantino Chiwenga , who warned that the army would be ready to put an end to the internal party purges in Mugabe's ZANU-PF if they did not stop. ZANU-PF politicians accused the army chief of “treasonous behavior”.

Military coup

On the night of November 14-15 , 2017, members of the army gained access to the ZBC state broadcaster . On November 15, 2017, Major General Sibusiso Moyo broadcast a speech stressing that President Mugabe was safe. Moyo denied that the military action was a coup. The aim of the military is to remove "criminal elements" from the president's environment. In addition, neither martial law would be proclaimed, the constitution suspended, nor President Mugabe declared deposed.

On November 15, the parliament building and the official residence of the president in the capital Harare were cordoned off by soldiers and numerous traffic junctions were controlled by the military, otherwise the situation remained calm. The same was true for the rest of the country. In a phone call with South African President Jacob Zuma , Mugabe said he was under house arrest . According to eyewitness reports, Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo was arrested, the appointment of other ministers remained unconfirmed at first. Chombo is considered a leading member of the so-called G40 faction within the ruling party, which had campaigned for Grace Mugabe as the successor to the head of the country. The whereabouts of the President's wife is unclear: The statement by MDC-T MP Eddie Cross that she was able to leave for Namibia on the night of November 14th to 15th was initially unconfirmed. A ZANU representative also said that Grace Mugabe had left the country. In contrast, there are testimonies that she and her husband were placed under house arrest.

On November 16, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T) and veteran leader Christopher Mutsvangwa, coming from South Africa, met in Harare for negotiations. Two representatives of the South African government were also involved in these, on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC): Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and State Security Minister Bongani Bongo . Among other things, Mnangagwa's future role and security guarantees for Mugabe and his family were disputed. The chairman of the African Union , Guinea's President Alpha Condé , pointed out that the AU would not accept military rule. He called on the army to return to their barracks and accept the constitutional order. In contrast, the General Secretary of the opposition MDC-T, Douglas Mwonzora, supported the military's actions. He believes that the formation of a transitional government is the best way forward.

Removal of Mugabe

On the afternoon of November 17th, all ten ZANU-PF Mugabe provincial associations had expressed their distrust. Around twelve supporters of Grace Mugabe had been arrested. On November 19, the ZANU-PF announced the dismissal of Mugabe as party leader, succeeded by Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was favored by the military. Grace Mugabe was expelled from the party. On the evening of the same day, Robert Mugabe refused to step down as president in a televised address. He also let an ultimatum for the following day, 12 noon, slip by. Mugabe resigned as president on November 21 after parliament launched impeachment proceedings.

Establishment of Mnangagwas

Three days later, Mnangagwa was sworn in as president. Another three days later, Mnangagwa dissolved Mugabe's cabinet and initiated the formation of a new cabinet.

background

Grace Mugabe (2013)

At the time of the intervention of the Zimbabwean military, the struggle to succeed Robert Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state, had come to a head. He ruled the country in southern Africa since 1980, first as Prime Minister and since 1987 as President.

The population in Zimbabwe suffers from poverty and high unemployment. This hardship and political repression caused millions of Zimbabweans to flee their country. A chaotically implemented land reform led to the - sometimes violent - expropriation of around 4,000 white farmers and fueled further conflicts. Since then, the country has been dependent on the import of food. After hyperinflation , the Zimbabwean dollar was replaced by foreign currencies such as the US dollar and the South African rand as a means of payment in 2009 .

Mugabe's wife, Grace Mugabe, gained more and more influence in the ruling ZANU-PF party over time; there she was chairwoman of the women's league. From this position, she fought competitors for her husband's successor. Her main opponent and most promising competitor for Mugabe's successor was Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa , a long-time companion of Robert Mugabe and former Vice-Chairman of ZANU-PF. He and Grace Mugabe fell out in October 2017. Initially, Mnangagwa was transferred from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Tourism and finally released from the cabinet on November 8, 2017 on charges of treason .

Mnangagwa, himself a veteran of Zimbabwe's struggle for independence , has close contacts with the armed forces leadership. After his loss of power, he fled to China , but announced that he would return and lead the country.

Constantino Chiwenga was a guest at the Chinese Ministry of Defense in Beijing a week before the coup and met with Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan . China denied any connection with the later intervention of the army. China has been supporting Mugabe since the country's struggle for independence in the 1970s. Especially after the boycott of Zimbabwe by Western countries in 2002, China got involved in Zimbabwe. China has repeatedly prevented sanctions against the country and Zimbabwean top politicians in the UN Security Council .

International reactions

Citizens celebrate in the streets of Harare, November 19, 2017
  • The US embassy in Harare warned US citizens and employees of the unsafe situation in the country and advised them not to leave their homes.
  • The President of the African Union, Alpha Condé , stated shortly after the events became known that the Zimbabwean military "apparently was trying to take power". He expressed "serious concern" on behalf of the African Union (AU) and stressed the AU's full support to the legal institutions of Zimbabwe. Foreign reporters suspected that the Zimbabwean military was trying not to describe the events as a coup, as otherwise the country could face expulsion from the African Union, as happened with Egypt after the 2013 military coup .
  • There were initially mixed reactions in neighboring South Africa. Mmusi Maimane , party leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance , said that the events offered an opportunity for a change of policy in Zimbabwe. The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters called on Mugabe to place political leadership in the hands of the younger generation. President Jacob Zuma of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) warned of unconstitutional changes and announced the sending of two special envoys to Harare.
  • Maria Adebahr, deputy spokeswoman for the German Foreign Office , said at the federal press conference on November 22, 2017 - after the fall of Mugabe - that the federal government would “follow the further development in Zimbabwe with great sympathy and sympathy”. The Federal Government would be "ready to support Zimbabwe's way into a new future together with our European, African and international partners".

Individual evidence

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  4. ^ A b Christian Putsch: "Gucci-Grace" pushes to the top of the dynasty. In: The world . December 9, 2014, accessed November 24, 2017 .
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  7. ↑ Zimbabwe: Army chief accused of 'treasonable conduct'. In: BBC News. November 14, 2017, accessed November 15, 2017 .
  8. ↑ The beginning of the end of the Mugabe era. Der Standard , November 15, 2017, accessed on the same day.
  9. ↑ Zimbabwe Military Assures Nation of President's Safety After State Takeover on YouTube
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  11. ↑ Mugabes under house arrest. Spiegel Online , November 15, 2017, accessed on the same day.
  12. ↑ Zimbabwe latest: Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo detained by military as 'criminals' rounded up. The Independent , November 15, 2017, accessed on the same day. (English)
  13. ↑ Zimbabwe latest: How can you tell if a coup is happening? BBC, November 15, 2017, accessed the following day. (English)
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  15. ↑ Tsvangirai and war vets leader return to Zimbabwe for negotiations. thesouthafrican.com of November 16, 2017 (English), accessed November 16, 2017
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  19. ^ Mugabe defies resignation expectations in TV speech. news24.com from November 19, 2017 (English), accessed on November 19, 2017
  20. ^ Zimbabwe's Mugabe Full Speech: Mugabe vows to stay on. BBC News on YouTube
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  22. ^ The President of Parliament announces the resignation of Robert Mugabe. In: The time . November 21, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017 .
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  26. ^ After the election in Zimbabwe: Mugabe takes action against white farmers. In: Süddeutsche.de . May 17, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2017 .
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  28. ↑ Dominic Frisby: Zimbabwe's trillion-dollar note from worthless to hot investment. The Guardian, May 14, 2016, accessed November 16, 2017
  29. ↑ Zimbabwe VP Mnangagwa told to prepare for the worst - report. In: News24.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017 .
  30. ↑ admin: Former Zimbabwe VP Mnangagwa Begins Exile In China After Mugabe Accused Him Of Witchcraft. In: The Zambian Observer. November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017 .
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  32. ↑ Simon Tisdall: Zimbabwe: was Mugabe's fall a result of China flexing its muscle? The Guardian, November 17, 2017, accessed November 17, 2017
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  35. ↑ Lizeka Tandwa, Amanda Khoza: Mixed feelings about Zimbabwean 'coup'. news24.xom, November 15, 2017, accessed on November 16, 2017 (English).
  36. ↑ Simon Osborne: Zimbabwe: South Africa rushes to Robert Mugabe's aid as Zuma reveals inside information. Express, November 15, 2017, accessed November 16, 2017 .
  37. ^ Full text: Government press conference of November 22, 2017. In: Federal press conference . November 22, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2017 .