Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe made his first public appearance since the military put him under house arrest this week, attending a graduation ceremony to applause, even as the military announced “significant progress” on talks for his departure and arrested some of his allies. The appearance came during an extraordinary series of negotiations with regional leaders over Mugabe’s departure after 37 years in power. Once on the podium, Mugabe joined the crowd in singing Zimbabwe’s national anthem. At the same time, it said Friday it was arresting and pursuing some people close to Mugabe and his wife. Friday’s graduation event appeared to allow Mugabe to project the image of leadership, even as calls for his departure grow stronger.

Source: Hindustan Times November 17, 2017 09:46 UTC