Brief 13 : mass desertion of soldiers from the Zimbabwe National Army in post-2000 crisis; a call for amnesty
Date
2013-12
Authors
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Publisher
University for Peace Africa Programme, Addis Ababa, ET
Abstract
While there has been mass desertion of soldiers from the Zimbabwe
national army in the post-2000 crisis, the only response by the army has
been to implement punitive measures, including the arrest, court martial,
indefinite detention whilst awaiting trail and imprisonment of deserters.
Such a response has not been productive but has instead led to deserters
seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Whilst army deserters
acknowledge that desertion is a military offence a reconsideration of the
plight of these men is important. This is a problem that remains beyond
the life span of the Zimbabwe Unity government. One of the ways in
which the government of Zimbabwe can effect change, particularly
the president of Zimbabwe working with the ministry of defence, is
to give these army deserters an amnesty which would allow them to
live in Zimbabwe without fear of being arrested by the military police
or military intelligence. Many security practitioners have argued that
these are trained men who can easily revert back to their violent ways
to survive; hence, political attention needs to focus on these men, not
in punitive ways but by means of reconciliation through the granting of
amnesty.
Description
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Policy Brief
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Text
Keywords
ZIMBABWE, ARMED FORCES, MILITARY DEMOBILIZATION, DESERTERS, MERCENARIES, MILITARY RECRUITMENT, CULTURAL IDENTITY, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, AMNESTY, PEACEBUILDING
Citation
Maringira, G. (2013). Brief 13 : Mass Desertion of Soldiers from the Zimbabwe National Army in Post-2000 Crisis: A call for Amnesty. UPEACE Africa Policy Series, 1(1): 123-128.