Election unrest

Zambia/Zimbabwe: Zambia Fears Mass Exodus from Zimbabwe Because of Election Violence

Date: June 19th, 2008 |

Authorities in Zambia are fearful of a mass exodus of immigrants from Zimbabwe in the aftermath of Zimbabwe’s run-off presidential election June 27. President Robert Mugabe appears determined not to let a possible election defeat remove him from power and has threatened to “go to war” to prevent opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai and his party [read more]

Zimbabwe: Election Dispute Has Country on Edge

Date: April 10th, 2008 |

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Zimbabwe has teetered on the brink of political disintegration for months and is now in an acute crisis following national elections in which the opposition appears to have won both the presidency and control of parliament. Long-ruling President Robert Mugabe has refused to release the election results and appears to be calculating how to hold [read more]

Kenya: Political Crisis, Violence Continue

Date: January 30th, 2008 |

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Violence stemming from Kenya’s disputed presidential election continued to plague the country, especially in the Rift Valley. Naivasha, a town popular with tourists and expatriates just 55 miles northwest of Nairobi, was overrun by murderous gangs over the weekend and tourists had to be escorted to Nairobi from nearby lodges. The killing of an opposition [read more]

Kenya: Post-Election Violence Plagues Country

Date: January 2nd, 2008 |

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Several days of violence following disputed national elections occurred in Nairobi, the Rift Valley and the coastal resort of Mombasa, prompting the U.S State Department to discourage all but essential travel to Kenya, and the British Foreign Office to warn against travel to several specific areas, including downtown Nairobi. Some 300 people have been killed, [read more]

Kenya: Kidnap Threat on Kiwayu Island; Possible Election Violence

Date: October 3rd, 2007 |

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The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi warned that Islamic extremists from Somalia may be planning to kidnap Westerners, especially U.S. citizens, on beaches in the Kiwayu Island tourist area and other beach sites on the northeast coast near Somalia. Kiwayu is in the Lamu archipelago, an area popular with Western travelers. The Embassy urged Americans to [read more]

Zimbabwe: Tensions Grow as Run-Off Election Nears

Date: May 28th, 2008 |

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The U.S. State Department recommends deferral of all non-essential travel to Zimbabwe, including to Victoria Falls, in the weeks leading up to the presidential run-off election scheduled for June 27. In an effort to prevent a defeat of incumbent President Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean military and Mugabe supporters have created a climate of intimidation and [read more]

Kenya: Violence Prompts Peace Corps to Suspend Operations

Date: February 7th, 2008 |

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Ongoing post-election violence that has often become ethnic prompted the U.S. Peace Corps to suspend its operations in Kenya. The Peace Corps announced the decision Feb. 5 to withdraw its remaining 58 volunteers after sending home 86 in January. Tourism has dropped to a trickle and foreign companies are considering pulling out, which would deal [read more]

Kenya: Post-Election Crisis Continues

Date: January 10th, 2008 |

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The post-election violence that raged for several days diminished and a reconciliation appeared to be developing between the incumbent president and opposition leader, both of whom feel they are the duly elected president of Kenya. Everything unraveled again, however, Jan. 8 when incumbent President Mwai Kibaki unilaterally named several cabinet ministers to the government. Riots [read more]

Kenya: Election Violence and Crime in Mombasa

Date: December 6th, 2007 |

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More than 14 million of Kenya’s 35 million citizens are registered to vote in the Dec. 27 election for a new president, parliament and local councils. As in past elections, this campaign has been plagued by violence. Since July, 35 people have been killed in election-related incidents, 13 in the last couple of weeks, and [read more]

Philippines: Military Called to Curb Election Violence

Date: May 2nd, 2007 |

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Mid-term elections will be held May 14 for 12 senators, the entire House of Representatives and thousands of local officials. The run-up to the elections has been plagued by violence among political clans, with almost 30 people killed in recent weeks, including the mayor of the northern city of San Carlos. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo [read more]