History of a troubled region
Black opposition to colonial rule in Zimbabwe grew dramatically from 1930, the year the Land Appointment Act restricted black access to land.
In 1953 Britain created the Central African Federation made up of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Nyasaland (Malawi), although this broke up when Zambia and Malawi gained independence ten years later.
Ian Smith was appointed Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia the following year and he sparked outrage when he declared independence under white minority rule.
Guerrilla war against white rule stepped up with the Zanu and Zapu parties operating out of Zambia and Mozambique respectively.
And, after years of civil war, in 1980 veteran pro-independence leader Robert Mugabe was named Prime Minister after victory for his Zanu party.
He appointed Joshua Nkomo, of the rival Zapu party, in his cabinet and independence was internationally recognised on April 18 after British-brokered all-party talks led to a peace agreement guaranteeing minority rights.
In the years that followed, after Nkomo was sacked by Mugabe, government forces are accused of killing thousands of civilians as North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade are brought in to crush pro-Nkomo rebellion.
The country has since been ravaged by food shortages, protest, inflation, farm seizures and an‘urban clear-up’.