Zimbabwe is under a crisis situation as reports surface that a military force has taken over the African nation. While the force claims the takeover is not a coup, it has come forth that longtime leader President Robert Mugabe is under house arrest.
Al Jazeera reports:
Zimbabwe’s military has seized state TV and blocked off access to government offices in the capital Harare.
In a televised address early on Wednesday morning, military spokesperson, Major General SB Moyo, said the army was seeking to “pacify a degenerating, social, and economic situation” in the country.
Moyo denied that the army was carrying out a coup against President Robert Mugabe’s government and said the leader and his family were “safe and sound and their safety is guaranteed”.
“We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country, in order to bring them to justice,” he said, as tanks surrounded parliamentary and presidential buildings.
General Moyo, who serves as the country’s Chief Staff of Logistics, says once the military establishes calm that the nation’s affairs will return to normal.
South Africa’s Jacob Zuma reportedly sent an envoy to broker peace with the Zimbabwe forces. Across Twitter, the hashtag #Zimbabwe has captured much of the varying opinions and sentiment on the matter.
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