U.S. calling for swift return to civilian rule in Zimbabwe
WASHINGTON — The United States on Friday called for a swift return to civilian rule in Zimbabwe, where longtime leader Robert Mugabe was apparently ousted in a military coup.
“Zimbabwe has an opportunity to set itself on a new path — one that must include democratic elections and respect for human rights,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in remarks to a ministerial summit on security and governance in Africa.
“We all should work together for a quick return to civilian rule in that country in accordance with their constitution,” he said.
Mugabe was placed under house arrest earlier this week by the Zimbabwe military after a long succession crisis in which the 93-year-old strongman fired his vice president.
Mugabe emerged for the first time Friday from military-imposed house arrest, presiding at a university graduation in a fragile show of normalcy even as former loyalists across the country demanded that he resign after nearly four decades in power.
In an extraordinary newscast, state broadcaster ZBC, for decades a mouthpiece for the Mugabe government, reported on the surging campaign for his ouster and showed video of ruling party members saying he should resign.
Earlier, Mugabe joined academics on a red carpet and sat in a high-backed chair in front of several thousand students and guests, a routine he has conducted for many years as the official chancellor of Zimbabwe’s universities.
This time, however, the spectacle was jarring because the authority of the world’s oldest head of state, once seen as impregnable, is evaporating daily.
That Mugabe was permitted to go to the Zimbabwe Open University event possibly reflected a degree of respect by the military for the president, a former rebel leader who took power after independence from white minority rule in 1980.
The armed forces are in a delicate position, sending tanks and troops into Harare’s streets this week to effectively end the Mugabe era, while refraining from more heavy-handed measures that would heighten accusations that they staged a coup and violated the constitution.
Meanwhile, the ruling ZANU-PF party signaled impatience with Mugabe amid negotiations on his exit. Party branches passed no-confidence votes in all 10 Zimbabwean provinces, and the state-run Zimbabwe Herald newspaper said all called for the resignation of Mugabe and his wife. They seek a special meeting within two days of the party’s Central Committee.
Demonstrations were called for Saturday in Harare to support the military’s move against Mugabe, who drew applause from the graduating students on the outskirts of the capital only when he made brief, perfunctory remarks.
Discontent with Mugabe has been growing because of the dire state of the economy, concerns about corruption and mismanagement, a sense that he is no longer physically capable of leading the country due to advanced age and the ambitions of his wife, Grace Mugabe, to succeed him.
The military stepped into the factional battles of the ruling party Wednesday after the firing of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is close to the armed forces and was heavily criticized by both Mugabes.