His new cabinet is composed of loyalists, many of whom served Mr. Mugabe. The army placed Mr. Mugabe under house arrest on Nov. 15 and eased the way for Mr. Mnangagwa to assume power. We want a country that is not militarized.”The continued military presence is particularly worrisome because of the upcoming elections, which are likely to be held in August. In the past, Mr. Mnangagwa, who was Mr. Mugabe’s right-hand man for decades, is believed to have orchestrated the rigging of elections. Last year, Mr. Mugabe’s wife, Grace, dominated the congress, which was split between her supporters and those of Mr. Mnangagwa.

Source: New York Times December 15, 2017 22:07 UTC