US Secretary For African Affairs Tells ED To "Urgently Hold Security Forces Accountable For August Violence"

The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy met with Zimbabwe’s president, Emmerson Mnangagwa on the sidelines of the ongoing 12th US-Africa Business Summit in Maputo, Mozambique where he stressed the importance of real political reforms.

Nagy posted on Twitter saying that he had told Mnangagwa the importance to hold security forces accountable for violence committed against Zimbabweans in August 2018 and January 2019.  Nagy tweeted:

I met with Zimbabwean President Mnangagwa today. I stressed the urgent need to hold security forces accountable for acts of violence committed against Zimbabweans including in August 2018 and January/February 2019 and the importance of real political and economic reforms.

See the tweet below:

Since coming into power, Mnangagwa has been re-engaging previously perceived enemies.

https://twitter.com/AsstSecStateAF/status/1141465889465933824

The development comes as president Mnangagwa’s administration is trying to reengage the international community particularly the West. Zimbabwe became isolated on the turn of the century following its fast track land reform programme which was widely condemned particularly by the opposition and western communities for violating human rights.

The southern African country then looked East where it sought to engage mostly with China who is emerging as a force on both geoeconomic and geopolitical arenas. Analysts, however, argue that Chinese assistance is less significant and unsustainable as China allegedly exploits countries participating in its Initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative.

Zimbabwe is in a fix as the plunging economy has served to continuously raise tensions between citizens and business on one side, and the government on the other.