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Zimbabwe labor federation calls for closure of state-backed militia camps [Excerpt] HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's main labor federation called on the government Thursday to shut down ruling party militia camps where it believes one of its top officials is being held after his disappearance two weeks ago.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions said Ephraim Taba was abducted Feb. 16 near the ruling party stronghold of Mutoko, 140 kilometers (90 miles) northeast of Harare.

Witnesses reported Taba being assaulted and reported his disappearance to police, said Lovemore Matombo, the federation's president. He has not been found.

The independent Human Rights Forum, an umbrella group of 11 church and rights groups, said in a report released Thursday that it was compiling witness information on at least 72 ruling party militia bases - known as "re-education camps" - across the country.

A return to law and order "must entail the disbanding of the youth and other militia and the immediate closure of the so-called re-education camps used by such militia," Matombo said.

The report said 26 people had died in political violence in the first 23 days of February, 16 opposition supporters, five members of the ruling party and six people whose affiliation was unknown.

The federation has protested to the government over "widespread violence and intimidation by organized state-sponsored forces targeted mostly at members of the opposition and civil society" including labor groups, Matombo said.

The government says labor groups support the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, whose leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, used to lead the federation. The labor group represents 90 percent of organized labor, and affiliated civic groups. [End Excerpt]

141 posted on 02/28/2002 1:46:08 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Mugabe learned well, from his Commie masters. Zimbabwe is even worse, than Stalinist Russia and Maoist China, because it is a combination of ALL of the evils of both !
146 posted on 02/28/2002 2:37:48 PM PST by nopardons
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