Zimbabwe: An Assassination Attempt at President Emmerson Mnangagwa!

On Mugabe at White City Stadium: “He said no no I didn’t fire you, he even offered me residence in his house but I told him that the people surrounding him wanted me dead.” – President Emmerson Mnangagwa (23.06.2018)

At the White City Stadium in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) held a rally ahead of the July 30th Elections, as the President Emmerson Mnangagwa had addressed the public. There was a blast of bomb near the VIP Part of the Stage, the President was able to get whisked away. Some are even contending that people threw a grenade towards the President. The last part hasn’t been verified.

There been several politicians and officials who has gotten hurt. Including 2nd Vice President Kembo Mohadi, retired General Englebert Rugeje and others was hurt by the bombs and grenades. There has even been reports of gunshots immediately happening after the bomb. As Mnangagwa was whisked away, also that two of the Presidential Aides died in the blast. Clearly, someone had planned this and wanted to secure his fate.

However, he came unscratched from it and was whisked away, while others has been hit by the violence hitting the VIP Stage of the Stadium. The President has later visited the ones hurt by the bomb at the Hospital in Bulawayo. Therefore, the hurt is there after the plot to kill the President. This is only hurting the cause of a peaceful transition, as he has himself been victimized by the attack on him. It is terrible sign of the days and a month ahead of the elections.


We can wonder whose behind this and who thinks this is a good idea, the coup to bring down Mugabe wasn’t without bloodshed and a peaceful transition should be like that. Even as the ZANU-PF is infused and controlled partly by the army. Therefore, you can wonder who has the capacity to aim at the king in Zimbabwe. Who knew and could stage this bomb close to the President. This has been prepared the VIP stage. The group who did this, knew exactly where and at what time the bomb should go off. Even if it didn’t hit the President, close allies and aides gotten hurt.

Therefore, this is just sad for Zimbabwe. This is going back in time and assassination plots is never positive, it is deliberate action of retribution towards the ones the other party wants dead. This is either revenge or a plot for political change through a fatal outcome. That is not mere foul play, but high risk gamble for supremacy.

Whoever behind this should be afraid of what the ZANU-PF would cook-up, as this will not create a better political space in the days ahead. Unless, the President will be the bigger man and let the Security Organization handle investigations and find the culprits. However, this is a sad day for Zimbabwe.

Assassination plots is never good news, it is sad news. Nothing good has ever come out of assassinations, usually more bloodshed and death of innocent people. That is not needed or something that should be promoted. Peace.

South Sudan: The War-Lords wasn’t ready to speak about Peace!

In South Sudan the prolonged civil war is continuing and with the fresh dialogue between the parties didn’t help. Some had hope that the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – In Government (SPLM-IG) or the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) under the leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardit. He has been ruling and with an iron fist. While the main opposition leader and rebel Dr. Riek Machar are running the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army – In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO). There is also a coalition of other rebels and opposition, who is the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) of 8 political parties/militias, some of them are run by big men like Dr. Lam Akol (National Democratic Movement – NDM) and Gen. Thomas C. Swaka (National Salvation Front – NAS).

Therefore, the knowledge of delegations from SSOA, TGoNU and SPLM/A-IO in the IGAD High Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) that has failed as even the house-arrested Machar couldn’t mend the fences or the idea of peaceful progress. That means the army and militias will continue to fight until they got supremacy.

Some people had hope as Ethiopian Government hosted this 32nd Extra-Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa and the shared arrangement to work on the “Revised Bridging Proposal” for all the stakeholders in the conflict as IGAD prepared for the dialogue this week. Still, that did not make it easier. They have the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) &Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM). All of these are interfering and monitoring the Republic. This combined with all the NGOs and Bilateral Organizations who support as well. Therefore, the international community is involved in the process. They are bookkeeping and securing needed services in the midst of the civil war, even footing the bills for it all. So the TGoNU can continue their fighting against their opposition.

This combined with various agreements that has not been kept, cease fire violations and such. These War-Lords really has no plan of quitting. They are preoccupied with the continued conflict and the looting of the Republic. There major resources being squandered away, not only seen by the Sentry in their reports, but the Kenyan bloggers are looking into the money laundering and estates owned by the War-Lords from South Sudan. Clearly, they are preoccupied with earning money on the toils and tears created by the conflict. That is why they are afraid of their future if the conflict ends. The guns are speaking their language. Even as the people are still lingering in refugee camps abroad and the Republic has no solution. The leadership isn’t hungry for peace, it is hungry to overcome its advisory.

At this point as the years lingers and the leaders continue to eat of the poverty, the famine and civil-wars, even as the state is bankrupt, creating higher bank-notes and the international community is footing the bills for development and needed supplies in refugee camps. This is clearly not the intention. But that is the sad reality as the innocent are dying and is afraid. The own leadership are holding this on. They are violating agreements or stifling it. If they are not getting their way, they are picking up guns or sending tanks to their yards. That is what happen in 2016, when the 2015 Agreement was starting to be established. However, that only lasted months before the new fresh conflict we are seeing today. Since then, there has been more deflections and more creations of new outfits who wants both Machar and Kiir to step down. However, none of them seems to fit the bill.

The state of affairs is sad. The people deserve peace, but War-Lords are busy finding ways to outsmart the enemies. Instead of dialogue and building real bridges, they are instead blowing them up hoping no-one finds out.

The people of South Sudan deserves better, but the leadership is busy killing each other and trying only to use ammunition to do so. They are not interested in talking. They know the trigger and is ready to aim. Peace.

SPLM/A-IO: On the Reckless Statement of Juba Spokesman – Michael Makuel Lueth (22.06.2018)

SPLM/A-IO: On the Face-to-Face Between President Salva Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar Teny-dhuorangun (21.06.2018)

SSOA delegation Meets Dr. Riek Machar in Addis Ababa (20.06.2018)

South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) Press Statement on Dr. Riek Machar attending Peace Talks in Addis Ababa (20.06.2018)

Zimbabwe Peace Project: Setting the Record Straight (19.06.2018)

IGAD: A Revised Bridging Proposal On the Outstanding Issues Pertaining to Governance and Security Arrangements in the High Level Revitalization Forum of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (12.06.2018)

Zimbabwe: Chiwenga says “the Coup” is lasting until the polls are over!

VP Chiwenga says Operation Restore Legacy which started on Nov 17 ends with voting for Emmerson Mnangagwa & his team in Parliament & local authorities on July 30” (The Herald Zimbabwe, 17.06.2018).

Today, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga really proven his democratic will and show that the junta is fired up by the military, who brought down the presidency of Robert Mugabe in November 2017. That the VP is saying this a month ahead of the polls proves the Zimbabwean African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), real progression is the change of the name of the President, but their action is only the military intervention. This brought in the Presidency of Mnangagwa and Chiwenga is stating, that the military are continuing their efforts until the polls are done.

This means the army is planning to interfere in the elections in favor of the ZANU-PF. Mnangagwa and the Lacoste took over with the blessing of the army. The bloodless coup of November 2017 was to make sure the Mugabe era ended, also the end of the Mugabe Family looting of the Republic. They also did this because the relationship between the army and the Mnangagwa fraction of the ZANU-PF party, as the G-40 wanted Grace Mugabe as their VP and successor of Robert. That was all put down, when the military intervened. Now the VP and former chief of the military are saying the coup will continue until the future is sealed for Mnangagwa.

That Chiwenga claims Operation Restore Legacy are continuing, means that if things doesn’t go as the military favors it. They will intervene and secure the future of the ZANU-PF they needs. This means that if the people want something else, expect the military to intervene in favor of the Mnangagwa presidency.

The Lacoste fraction and the military part of the cabinet. Shows already their position in the new formed government. The importance of the military is really there, when Chiwenga has become the VP. This is all a proof, that the election are made to legitimize Mnangagwa and his new government. The election is there to secure the future and make validate the coup. Therefore, the ZANU-PF just want to continue and not change pattern.

If they wanted to change and wanted real democracy, the ZANU-PF and Chiwenga wouldn’t say that the Operation Restore Legacy are continuing until the polls. Because then the Coup is officially still on to serve the purpose of Lacoste. Not being an official election where the goal is for the people’s real choice, but securing the will of the army.

That is what I understand when Chiwenga says Operation Restore Legacy is on and until the polls is done. That means the people’s will isn’t important. Peace.

Zimbabwe: Statement from ZAPU on Political Cooperation during and after 2018 Elections (15.06.2018)