Police Raid Zimbabwe Opposition HQ

Opposition Leader Takes Refuge In Dutch Embassy Amid Political Turmoil

(CBS/AP)  Zimbabwe's opposition leader took refuge in the Dutch Embassy after pulling out of the presidential runoff, and dozens of his supporters were hustled away by police in a raid on party headquarters Monday.

Western powers outraged at the turmoil began pushing Monday for the U.N. Security Council to condemn the violence and insist on a fair presidential election. They expected opposition from Zimbabwe's two biggest trading partners, South Africa and China.

A tense debate gripped the U.N. Security Council, where the U.S. and European nations pushed a toughly worded draft statement condemning a "campaign of violence and the restrictions on the political opposition" that have made it "impossible for a free and fair election to take place" on Friday.

"There has been too much violence, too much intimidation," Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon told a brief news conference, and a runoff "would only deepen divisions within the country and produce a result that cannot be credible."

Despite the international condemnation, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe pledged to press ahead with Friday's vote.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai returned to Zimbabwe a month ago to campaign, despite warnings by his Movement for Democratic Change party that he was the target of a state-sponsored assassination plot.

Since then, his top deputy has been arrested on treason charges -- which carry the death penalty — and Tsvangirai has repeatedly been detained by police. His supporters have faced such violence that the opposition leader said Sunday he could not run.

Dutch officials said Monday that Tsvangirai sought shelter in their embassy in Harare following his announcement Sunday that he was withdrawing from the runoff, but said he did not ask for political asylum.

Tsvangirai "asked if the Dutch Embassy could provide him with refuge because he was feeling unsafe," Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen told the British Broadcasting Corp.

Even before Tsvangirai's actions, some African leaders had begun to offer uncharacteristic criticism of Mugabe, an 84-year-old liberation hero whose defiant anti-Western rhetoric long resonated in a region with a bitter colonial past. Tsvangirai's decision to pull out of the runoff and take refuge in a Western embassy may have been aimed at forcing his African neighbors to take a strong stand.

At a news conference in Harare late Monday, Zimbabwe's police commissioner, Augustin Chihuri, said neither Tsvangirai nor his party had reported any threats, and police were not seeking the politician.

"Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai is under no threat at all from Zimbabweans and he should cast away these delusions," Chihuri said.

Condemnation of Mugabe poured in from the U.S., Europe and elsewhere.

"In forsaking the most basic tenet of governance, the protection of its people, the government of Zimbabwe must be held accountable by the international community," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement.

"Clearly, a government that emerges out of elections in which the opposition can't even participate could not be considered free and fair or legitimate," she said.

Tsvangirai won the first round of the presidential election on March 29, but did not gain an outright majority against Mugabe. That campaign was generally peaceful, but the runoff has been overshadowed by violence and intimidation, especially in rural areas.

Independent human rights groups say 85 people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes, most of them opposition supporters.

In Harare, David Coltart, a prominent opposition party member, said that not only had Tsvangirai sought refuge at the Dutch Embassy, but other top leaders had also gone underground.

"Virtually the entire leadership is hiding in Harare," Coltart said.

Mugabe's government insisted Friday's vote would go ahead — with Tsvangirai's name on the ballot. The intent appeared to be to humiliate the opposition.

The prospect of such an election drew strong criticism from the international community. But Zimbabwe's increasingly autocratic ruler showed little concern for the world's opinion — his police entered opposition headquarters Monday even as foreign election observers watched.

Movement for Democratic Change spokesman Nelson Chamisa said most of those taken away were women and children seeking refuge after fleeing state-sponsored political violence. He said police also seized computers and furniture.

Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said 39 people were taken into custody as part of an investigation into political violence. He said they were taken to what he called a "rehabilitation center" for interviews.

In announcing his withdrawal from the runoff, Tsvangirai said such harassment and violence against his supporters had made the balloting impossible.

Word of Tsvangirai's withdrawal spread in Zimbabwe by text message and word of mouth. Some supporters said they felt abandoned, but others said Tsvangirai had no choice given the violence.

Militant groups roamed the capital Monday and cars and buses displayed Mugabe posters and fliers. One motorist said he hung a Mugabe party bandanna on his car mirror in hopes it would protect him from attacks.

Roy Bennett, treasurer of Tsvangirai's party, speaking to The Associated Press in Johannesburg, called on the Southern African Development Community and the African Union to launch negotiations aimed at bringing members of the opposition and moderate members of Mugabe's ZANU-PF party together in a transitional authority that would create conditions for free and fair presidential voting.

He said Mugabe would not be welcome on the transitional authority or in a future government.

The issue of Mugabe's role is believed to have derailed previous attempts to resolve Mugabe's crisis by creating a coalition government. But Bennett said ZANU-PF would have to yield now in the face of growing international pressure.

South African President Thabo Mbeki has been mediating between Mugabe and Tsvangirai for more than a year under Southern African Development Community auspices. Bennett, though, appeared to be calling for a new initiative. The opposition has said Mbeki should step down, accusing him of bias in Mugabe's favor.

Mbeki spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said a South African negotiating team was in Zimbabwe on Monday. But Bennett said negotiations could not open until state-sponsored violence ended and Tendai Biti, the party's secretary-general, who has been jailed on treason charges since June 12, was released.

Mbeki has refused to criticize Mugabe, saying confronting him could close the door to talks. But other African leaders have shown increasing unease, and South Africa was under pressure to speak out.

As CBS News correspondent Richard Roth reports, the U.S. and its allies are demanding change. But with generals pampered by wealth and privilege, Mugabe's regime has already weathered sanctions and international censure.

"They are willing to do literally anything to remain in power in Zimbabwe,'' said James McGee, U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe. "One, for the financial rewards it brings in, and two, for the potential retribution and justice that will be brought to bear if they lose power.""

McGee told CBS News on Thursday that a free and fair election was impossible under the current circumstances. He described witnessing acts of violent coercion by Mugabe youth militias around Harare with his own eyes, and hearing accounts of many more. (Read more on McGee's tough diplomacy).

[ubrew12]

bhoogren said: "Lessee drunk bands of African dudes running around raping and pillaging and vandalizing and deforming and slashing and denying it all. This is news?"

I know what Clinton did when it was Yugoslavian dudes doing the same. How many American lives were lost? How many lives saved?

Conservatives. If its not covered in oil, it''s just not worth getting out of bed.

[keithle1]

You can''t blame Zimbabwe on Dubya. Lots of other stuff like an "easy liberation" called Iraq. This has been a long time coming. What do you expect when a clueless evil idiot dictator takes charge? Peace & harmony? Happy citizens?

Send the Marines in! To do what? Send in aid for the starving? Probably be wasted. Wouldn''t get to the needy. Be used by the corrupt fat cats, sold off, rerouted, etc. Typical African scam. Pathetic. Don''t waste your time worrying about them.

It''s the Third World. What do you want. Zimbabwe makes Mississippi look like Switzerland.

[downsteamjim]

It is 2009 and President Obama, President AhMADdinajad of Iran, and President Mugabe are talking. Obama turns to Mugabe and says when I first got elected to office, I just disqualified my opponents. AhMAD says the mullahs did that for me. Mugabe stops and thinks if I had only done what these guys did I could have gotten elected without the blood.

[downsteamjim]

To j-flood: Think Somalia

[keithle1]

I am truly shocked at this turn of events. BEEP.
I am truly shocked at this turn of events. BEEP.
I am truly shocked at this turn of events. BEEP.

In Zimbabwe of all places. Who knew?

Why does the U.S. have to solve EVERY two-bit,
good-for-nothing, banana republic''s problems?

Can''t have African leaders criticizing the great statesman & freedom fighter Mugabe. Oh no. The black man has to stick together? Through bad times & more bad times!

Power to the people!

[Latrocinor]

Lessee drunk bands of African dudes running around raping and pillaging and vandalizing and deforming and slashing and denying it all.

This is news?

[dobbershome]

Who cares what happens in that hell hole called Zimbabwe. Savages the whole lot of them mate.

[haoli25]

Send Sharpton and Jesse Jackson over there...they will fix ALL of the problems.

[j_flood]

GWB: What''s next Condi?
CR: Zimbabwe Sir.
GWB: Any oil there?
CR: No sir, don''t believe so.
GWB: Any white people there?
CR: Not many sir.
GWB: What''s the next agenda item Condi?

[jazz_jeff2]

...meanwhile the rest of the world does nothing. O'' wait, they talk about more useless sanctions and "constructive talks" - in other words, DO NOTHING!

Now if there was oil in the country, that would be a different story!

[faith_in_w]

harpoot, no it isnt, they are all black there.

[faith_in_w]

Hopefully Obama can quit too.

[abigail70]

*yawn*

Something happens in yet another country, and it''s once again all GWB''s fault. The only good thing about Hussein winning will be my laughter as these same folks come here to rant about him.

What, were there no articles about Tulip hybrids that you can post political whining on?

[brianbwb-2009]

"Apparently, you have to be white to appreciate the point I''''m trying to make :-)" Posted by juwboy

Apparently, but I doubt the simians would appreciate your humor. Being smarter than most sapiens, they probably just see us all as follicularly challenged apes, one group of which tries to segregate itself by referring to itself as "white" and to all others with similar delusions.

[haoli25]

(yawn) Who cares?

[bluestardad]

THANKS AMERICA AND BRITIAN FOR YOUR POLITICALLY CORRECTNESS THAT PUT THIS DICTATOR IN POWER!

THOUSANDS OF DEAD RHODIESIANS ARE CRYING OUT FOR JUSTICE!

[harpoot]

Zimbabwe - a "democracy" like GW can only dream about. Must be what GOP heaven is like.

[juwboy]

Apparently, you have to be white to appreciate the point I''m trying to make :-)

[brianbwb-2009]

"George Bush is regularly called a "chimp" in these Comments. So, I suppose it''s acceptable to call Robert Mugabe a "sooty mangabey". Posted by juwboy

Sure it is, they''re both politicians, so what is your point, other than insulting simians?

[juwboy]

George Bush is regularly called a "chimp" in these Comments.

So, I suppose it''s acceptable to call Robert Mugabe a "sooty mangabey".