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Death of a general

The military is losing out in its power struggle with the intelligence services, and President Mugabe is the beneficiary

More than 15 senior officers have been purged from the Zimbabwe Defence Force following investigations into plots to oust President Robert Mugabe, a group of military officers told Africa Confidential this week. Some of the officers have been court-martialled, others are under arrest and yet others have 'disappeared'. Other military sources link the latest purge to what they describe as the most serious coup attempt against Mugabe since 1998 and suggest that more than 40 officers are being targeted for surveillance and arrest (AC Vol 48 No 14). As power struggles intensify and the pace of economic disintegration accelerates, officers believe the mainstream military is losing out to the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) under its Director General, Happyton Bonyongwe....

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Death of a general

The military is losing out in its power struggle with the intelligence services, and President Mugabe is the beneficiary

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