Mugabe Will “go to war”; British Court Approves Extradition of Four Genocide Suspects to Rwanda

By M. Brandon Maggiore
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Africa

HARARE, Zimbabwe – President Robert Mugabe has increased his rhetoric ahead of the June 27^th runoff election between Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai by stating that he will “go to war” to protect Zimbabwe. While Mugabe has not called for war if the MDC wins the upcoming election, Mugabe has said that  he will not accept rule by the MDC “lackeys.”

The BBC quotes Mugabe as saying "We are prepared to fight for our country and to go to war if we lose it the same way our ancestors lost it."

Tendai Biti, deputy MDC leader, is awaiting a High Court ruling on the legality of his arrest for treason, a charge punishable by death. Biti, arrested upon his return to Harare from South Africa and taken to an undisclosed location, is expected to be charged on Monday with treason for announcing the results of the presidential election before the official results were released and for publishing a transition strategy around March 26.

Biti was held without access to lawyers or the court system but a High Court ruling was successful in compelling Biti’s access to lawyers and the judicial system.

Morgan Tsvangirai was also detained by police while campaigning, the third time he has been detained in a week.

In an effort to cut down on foreign press publications reaching Zimbabwe, the tax on imported newspapers was increased from 5% to 40%. This is viewed as an intentional move to prevent imported papers, especially from South Africa, from reporting free of government control on the situation in Zimbabwe.

Tsvangirai reports that more than 60 MDC supporters have been killed and over 200 people are missing since the political violence began shortly after the March 29 elections.

For more information, please see:

BBC News - Mugabe pledges to fight 'lackeys' - 14 June 2008

The Standard - Govt Intensifies Clampdown On Private Newspapers - 14 June 2008

-----

A British Court approved a Rwandan extradition request for four individuals accused of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, complicity in genocide, crimes against humanity, and murder and looting.

Vincent Banjinya,  Célestin Ugirashebuja, Emmanuel Nteziryayo, and Charles Munyaneza, were arrested in December 2006 in Great Britain at the request of Rwanda.

The British Court’s etradition approval is in stark contrast to the May ruling of the International Criminal Court for Rwanda (ICTR) where the ICTR denied the transfer of a prosecution to Rwanda because it did not believe that the Rwandan legal system was in a position to have a fair trial.

British Judge Anthonoy Evans said that there was no concrete evidence that a fair trial cannot be conducted in Rwanda. Judge Evans said that statements against the ICTR by politicians are commonplace and that criticism of the Spanish Judge is not sufficient in itself to support the ICTR’s concerns it cited for its ruling in May.

For more information, please see:

Arusha Times (Hirondelle News Agency) - British Court oks Extradition of Four to Rwanda – 14-20 June 2008

BBC News - Rwanda genocide accused remanded - 29 December 2006