BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe -- In a bid to quash growing dissent amidst a worsening economic and political situation, Zimbabwe´s Robert Mugabe has ordered the creation of a reserve army made up of war veterans that took part in the country's liberation struggle in the 1970s. The move comes after thousands of junior soldiers and police deserted or resigned from the government's security forces over the past few years, disgruntled by poor pay and working conditions, leaving Mugabe short of the manpower that is essential to the maintenance of his oppressive regime. Many have left to seek better paying jobs as private security guards in the neighboring Southern Africa Development Community region, especially in South Africa and Botswana. This is not the first time that Mugabe has looked to war veterans to get him out of a tough situation. In the run up to the 2002 presidential elections, Mugabe's chief agency of violence against his political opponents was a group coordinated by war veterans fanatically loyal to him.
Mugabe Creates New Instrument of Violence Ahead of 2008 Elections
