The last Sunday demonstration by Zimbabwean soldiers at a Masvingo shoping center, demanding that President Robert Mugabe rule the country “forever”, should not surprise anyone that uniformed soldiers are openly taking sides in Zimbabwe’s politics. Why? It is obvious that fear of prosecution is what is driving the military’s involvement in politics rather than loyalty to Mugabe or ZANU-PF. The soldiers, especially senior military officers, have a great stake in seeing to it that ZANU-PF remains in power than any other political party that might prosecute them for past atrocities. After all we are talking about an army (as well as other security forces in the country) that have been accused of gross violations of human rights, ranging from the atrocities committed during the Matabeleland uprising, abuses in the 2008 elections, to the Marange diamond fields human rights abuses.
What all this tells me is that there is a chance that post-Mugabe era could trigger Zimbabwe into another failed state on the continent, just like Somalia. Therefore, I completely agree with the 50 Zimbabwean non-governmental organizations reported “to be urging the three parties in the country’s national unity government to jointly engage senior military and other security service commanders to reassure them of their future in return for guarantees they will not interfere in the transitional democratic process.”
But the question of what “reassure” means should be answered first. Does it mean a pact that would reassure them that they will not be prosecuted for the crimes they committed?
