2008 Zimbabwean general election, Conduct, Presidential election, Allegations of violence, further international response
On 24 April, Jendayi Frazer, the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, said at the beginning of a tour of Zimbabwe's neighbouring countries that Morgan Tsvangirai was the "clear victor" of the election. However, she also said that a "negotiated solution" might be necessary. Chinamasa described Frazer's utterances as "patently false, inflammatory, irresponsible and uncalled for". In Zambia on 27 April, Frazer said that if a government of national unity was formed, it should be led by Tsvangirai.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Conduct, Presidential election, MDC headquarters raid
Police raided the MDC headquarters, Harvest House, and the offices of the Zimbabwe Elections Support Network (ZESN) in Harare on 25 April. The Herald reported that 215 people had been arrested in the raid on Harvest House.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Conduct, Presidential election, MDC headquarters raid
Bvudzijena, the police spokesman, said that the police were looking for individuals who had engaged in violence following the election, specifically referring to arson attacks on "four homesteads, tobacco barns and fowl runs belonging to Zanu-PF supporters in the Mayo resettlement area in Manicaland on 16 April"; he said that those responsible for the attacks were suspected to have taken refuge in Harvest House. According to Bvudzijena, the police were screening the arrested individuals and those who had not committed a crime would be released.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Conduct, Presidential election, MDC headquarters raid
The MDC said that the raid involved about 250 policemen and that about 300 people in Harvest House were taken away, including people who were taking refuge from violence committed by ZANU–PF supporters and people who were seeking medical treatment at Harvest House. The party also alleged that its supporters were beaten during the raid, and, according to the MDC, the police said that they were searching for "the documents that the party has that form the basis of our claim that we won the election...


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Conduct, Presidential election, MDC headquarters raid
Further they have taken all computers and equipment that was used by the MDC at the MDC's election command centre." Chamisa said that the police had no search warrant and that the "victims of violence" taken away by the police included women and children; he also said that MDC staff at Harvest House were arrested. Regarding the ZESN raid, The Herald reported that the police were searching for evidence that Electoral Commission officials had been bribed through ZESN to manipulate the election results. ZESN chairman Noel Kututwa said that the police "had a search warrant which stated that they were looking for subversive material which is likely to be used to overthrow a constitutionally elected government", and he said that they had seized computer equipment and files.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Conduct, Presidential election, MDC headquarters raid
On 28 April, the Harare High Court ordered that all of the people arrested at the MDC headquarters be released. The police did not immediately do so, but Bvudzijena said that 29 people had been released, most of them women, the elderly, and infants; he also said that the police had asked those who had suffered from political violence to identify the individuals who were responsible for the violence.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Conduct, Presidential election, MDC headquarters raid
The police released the remainder of those who were arrested at the MDC headquarters on 29 April, in compliance with the High Court's order, without charge, although it continued to hold three others. Meanwhile, US President George W. Bush criticised Mugabe, saying that he had "failed" Zimbabwe, and accused the Zimbabwean government of intimidating the people; Bush also said that it was the responsibility of other countries in the region to "step up and lead" with regard to Zimbabwe.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Conduct, Presidential election, UN Security Council meeting
The United Nations Security Council held a session on the situation in Zimbabwe on 29 April. Reportedly, the US, European and Latin American members of the Security Council wanted to send a special envoy to Zimbabwe; however, South Africa, the current holder of the Presidency of the Security Council, opposed this. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was said to have not yet reached a decision on the issue. Biti was present at the U.N. headquarters, hoping to convince the Security Council to send a special envoy, but the Council met without hearing his appeal.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Conduct, Presidential election, UN Security Council meeting
According to Biti, the "humanitarian concern" made the problem more than merely a regional or sub-regional matter, and it was something the U.N. should handle. The Zimbabwean government denounced the U.N. session as "sinister, racist and colonial", and Deputy Information Minister Matonga called it "a sign of desperation by the British and their MDC puppets".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Conduct, Parliamentary elections
According to the MDC candidate for Makoni South, Pishai Muchauraya, ballot papers in wards 29 and 30 of Makoni South, which is strongly pro-MDC, ran out after two hours of voting. Muchauraya said that 300 people had voted by that point, with another 1,000 still waiting.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Conduct, Parliamentary elections
In Chitungwiza, a dormitory town of Harare, clashes occurred between supporters of MDC candidates from the rival factions on 30 March. This came after supporters of Marvellous Khumalo claimed victory over Job Sikhala, began celebrating, and engaged in provocations towards Sikhala. Five people were reported injured, and Klumalo and Sikhala were both arrested, along with 13 MDC activists.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President
Chiweshe said on 26 April that he expected the recount to be complete by 28 April. At that point, according to Chiweshe, the presidential candidates or their agents would be invited "to a verification and collation exercise, leading to the announcement of the results of the presidential election". Chief Elections Officer Lovemore Sekeramayi and the candidates agreed that during this exercise both the MDC and ZANU–PF would collate their own figures, which would be compared afterwards; if there were discrepancies, the figures would be cross-checked.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President
The verification and collation of presidential results was scheduled to begin on 1 May at the Harare International Conference Centre. On 30 April, Agence France-Presse reported that "sources close to the electoral commission" claimed that Tsvangirai had received about 47–50% of the vote, but not a majority.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President
On the same day, the MDC alleged that the number of people killed in post-election violence had risen to 20, while Human Rights Watch's Africa director, Georgette Gagnon, alleged that "the army and its allies... are intensifying their brutal grip on wide swathes of rural Zimbabwe to ensure that a possible second round of presidential elections goes their way".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President
CNN reported on 30 April that a "unidentified senior official" credited Tsvangirai with 47% and Mugabe with 43%. Matonga said on 1 May that the government had its own results, and that according to these results a second round would be necessary, although he gave no specifics. A spokesman for Tsvangirai, speaking in Johannesburg, stated again that Tsvangirai would not participate in a second round: "If Robert Mugabe cannot accept the real results now, what's the guarantee he'll accept the real results after a runoff?" He said that the claims that a second round would be necessary were part of a government strategy to steal the election. Meanwhile, Tsvangirai said that he would return to Zimbabwe after the verification exercise is complete.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President
At the collation meeting on 1 May, the MDC presented their figures, which gave Tsvangirai 50.3%, thus avoiding a run-off; the ZEC tally, however, showed him with 47.8% to Mugabe's 43.2%. Emmerson Mnangagwa represented Mugabe at the meeting and Chris Mbanga represented Tsvangirai; Makoni was present in person. Talks were to continue on 2 May. MDC spokesperson George Sibotshiwe said that the MDC wanted the Electoral Commission to account for 120,000 votes which, according to the commission, went to Mugabe, although Sibotshiwe said that ZANU–PF had not claimed those votes. According to Sibotshiwe, if Tsvangirai was credited with these 120,000 votes, he would have a first-round majority.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President
Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio met with Mugabe on 1 May; afterwards, he said that Mugabe would participate in the second round and that Mugabe had pledged to "unhesitatingly accept the results of the second round and urged the opposition to take the same approach." Tsvangirai said in an interview with France 24 on the same day that a second round could not be held in an atmosphere in which Mugabe was "unleashing violence, death squads and violence against our structures".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
On 2 May, Chief Elections Officer Lovemore Sekeramayi announced that Tsvangirai had received 47.9%, Mugabe had received 43.2%, Makoni had received 8.3%, and Towungana had received 0.6%. According to Sekeramayi, a second round would be "held on a date to be advised by the commission". The MDC denounced this as "daylight robbery".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Biti, speaking from South Africa, alleged that the Electoral Commission had taken 50,000 votes from Tsvangirai and added 47,000 votes to Mugabe's score; he said that "Morgan Tsvangirai is the president of the republic of Zimbabwe to the extent that he won the highest number of votes" and that Tsvangirai must "be declared the president of Zimbabwe". While not entirely ruling out Tsvangirai's participation in a run-off, Biti reiterated the MDC's view that conditions in Zimbabwe did not allow for one to be held.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
He said that "Tsvangirai should be allowed to form a government of national healing that includes all Zimbabwean stakeholders", but said this was conditional on Mugabe immediately conceding defeat. Meanwhile, Mnangagwa said at a press conference in Harare that ZANU–PF felt "aggrieved" and had been "greatly prejudiced by the attempt by the MDC and its sponsors to tamper with the electoral system", but he said that Mugabe nevertheless "accepts the result as announced" and confirmed that Mugabe would be a candidate in the run-off.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
On the same day, US State Department spokesman Tom Casey expressed scepticism regarding the potential for a free and fair second round under the circumstances, alleging that "the government has done everything it can to both delay and obscure the results" and that it was intimidating and abusing the opposition. Similarly, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband demanded an end to "violence and intimidation" and said that "any second round must be free, fair and open to international monitors". Meanwhile, Makoni said that Zimbabwe could not afford to hold a second round and that "the way forward for this country is for the political leaders to work together".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Mbeki met with religious leaders on 2 May and expressed displeasure with what he described as interference by the United States and the United Kingdom that he said was subverting his attempts at mediation. On 4 May, the US embassy and the British High Commission in South Africa expressed their support for the role of Mbeki and SADC in mediating the situation.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
At a meeting in Harare on 3 May, the MDC leadership did not make a decision on whether to contest the second round; Tsvangirai participated in the meeting from Johannesburg through video link-up. On the same day, MDC Vice-President Thokozani Khupe described a run-off as "unlikely", but vowed that if one took place, the MDC would win "by an even bigger margin".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
On 4 May, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said that the Electoral Commission could not be relied upon to handle the second round, and it called on the UN and the AU to supervise it instead. Meanwhile, the Progressive Teachers Union alleged that violence was being directed at teachers because they often served as election officers, with the intent of deterring them from acting in that role in the second round, and threatened a strike.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Jean Ping, the Chairman of the African Union Commission, arrived in Harare late on 4 May, along with the AU's political affairs commissioner, Julia Dolly Joiner, and its peace and security commissioner, Ramtane Lamamra. Ping was reported to have had "very constructive" discussions with Mugabe, as well as a "working meeting" with Chiweshe in which they "reviewed the entire electoral process from the start" and "look[ed] at all the scenarios for the coming weeks".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
On 5 May 2008, Tsvangirai's spokesman George Sibotshiwe stated that the MDC had reached a decision, but that it would only be announced once the date for the run-off had been set. A meeting of SADC's political, defence and security committee in Angola resulted in a statement on 5 May calling on the Zimbabwean government to ensure security in the run-off. Meanwhile, ZANU–PF spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira called on all party members to vote for Mugabe in the second round, describing him as "a man who has transformed this country from being a colony to an independent, sovereign and dynamic state".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
According to Shamuyarira, many ZANU–PF supporters neglected to vote in the first round because they were sure that Mugabe would win. The party also called on its members, as well as opposition supporters, to avoid violence. The MDC alleged that five more of its supporters were killed on 5 May, bringing its claimed death toll to 25.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Chiweshe suggested on 6 May that the second round might be held after the 21-day period following the announcement of results that is specified in the Electoral Act, noting that the Electoral Commission could extend the time if necessary, although he said that the Commission intended to hold the second round as early as possible. Matonga has said that it could potentially be delayed by as much as one year. British Prime Minister Brown said on 6 May that "there must at least be an immediate end to violence and international observers must be put in place now, well ahead of the vote itself", if it was "to be considered free and fair".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
On 7 May the Pan African Parliament (PAP) Observer Mission said that the ZEC had long lost control of the electoral process and its constitutional obligation has been gravely compromised. The Observer mission questioned voter registration, and the excess of ballot papers printed, and called for a "timeous intervention" by the AU and the Southern African Development Community before the situation got "out of control". On the same day, the AU released a statement calling on "all the Zimbabwe political actors to conduct their activities in a free, transparent, tolerant, and non-violent manner" and urging "Zimbabwe to implement the conditions set out in the Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Kingsley Mamabolo, the head of South Africa's delegation to the SADC observer mission, said on 7 May that the second round could not take place in the existing atmosphere of violence. According to Mamabalo, Mbeki had sent a team to investigate the violence. On 8 May, the MDC raised its claimed death toll to 30, while Gertrude Hambira, the General Secretary of the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe, said that her union had recorded 40,000 people who had been displaced since the election.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
According to Hambira, the displaced persons were accused of supporting the MDC and were "attacked by a group of militias wearing army uniforms". Also on 8 May, the President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Lovemore Matombo, and its Secretary-General, Wellington Chibebe, were arrested for allegedly inciting rebellion when speaking at a rally on May Day.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
The BBC reported on 9 May that a Zimbabwean policeman had told it that there were plans to have war veterans present in polling stations during the second round, while dressed in police uniforms, to intimidate opposition supporters. On the same day, Mbeki arrived in Harare for talks with Mugabe and was met by Mugabe at the airport. Mbeki returned to South Africa after about four hours of talks.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Also on 9 May, the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights said that in the violence following the election, 22 people had been killed and 900 had been tortured. However, the group said that it had become "impossible to properly document all cases" due to the scale of the violence, which the group claimed had seriously worsened during May.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Tsvangirai announced at a press conference in Pretoria on 10 May that he would contest the second round, calling for it to be held within three weeks of the announcement of results. He said that the MDC had consulted its supporters before making this "very difficult" decision and that its supporters would have felt "betrayed" if he chose not to participate. However, he made his participation conditional on "unfettered access of all international observers", the "reconstitution" of the Electoral Commission, and free access for Zimbabwean media and the international press. Additionally, he wanted SADC peacekeepers to be present.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
He expressed his intention to return to Zimbabwe soon. Later on the same day, Tsvangirai met with Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos; he told dos Santos that, if he won the election, Mugabe would still be highly regarded as the "father of the nation", apparently retreating from his suggestion in April that Mugabe could face trial.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
In an interview with the Sunday Mail published on 11 May 2008, Chiweshe stated that the run-off round would not be held within the three weeks, but at a later date. He said that the Electoral Commission still needed money to be allocated by the government. Meanwhile, Chinamasa stated that the government would not consider admitting Western observers unless Western governments revoked their sanctions against Zimbabwe. Also on 11 May, 58 opposition activists in Shamva were arrested for alleged public violence.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Meanwhile, speaking to the press in Harare, Chinamasa said that ZANU–PF would only consider the possibility of a national unity government after the second round was held, and he questioned why Tsvangirai would support such an arrangement if he had truly won a majority. He said that ZANU–PF was "eagerly waiting for the date so that we can put the election behind us and forge ahead with our programmes", stressing the importance of unity among the people and the need to put an end to "the current polarisation" but also drawing a sharp contrast between ZANU–PF and the MDC. According to Chinamasa, the government would pay for the second round itself, without any external assistance.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Heya Shoko, an elected MDC MP, was arrested on 12 May in connection with violence in his constituency, while the President and Secretary-General of the ZCTU appeared in court for the first time and were denied bail. Regarding Tsvangirai's anticipated return, Matonga said that any threat to Tsvangirai could be dealt with by the police, but he said that he was not aware of any such threat, remarking that "as far as we know he is on holiday, at the same time trying to drum up support for his campaign to demonise Zimbabwe."


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
On 13 May 2008, Tsvangirai stated that he would be willing to compete in the run-off if at least SADC election observers would be present, softening his previous demand for free access to all international observers. He also said that if a delay was necessary, the second round still needed to be held "within a reasonable period".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
On the same day, a number of diplomats, including US Ambassador James McGee, were questioned by police for about 45 minutes at a checkpoint near Harare; they were also questioned when visiting a rural hospital and meeting with people who had been injured in violence following the election. The US government criticised this as "harassment". On 14 May, The Herald alleged that the diplomats were engaged in a "spirited campaign to demonise the government ahead of the presidential election run-off" and said that they had "circumvent[ed] diplomatic protocol" during their trip by going more than 40 kilometres from Harare without obtaining the Foreign Ministry's approval.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz Salomão said on 14 May that SADC intended to send 200 or more observers (possibly over 300) to Zimbabwe for the second round. He also said that SADC would not send any peacekeepers and urged the parties to behave responsibly. According to Salomão, SADC could not describe the situation as safe or fair for the time being, but he hoped that SADC could "create a conducive environment for everybody to be confident".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
In a statement from Chinamasa on behalf of the Electoral Commission that was published in a special government gazette on 14 May 2008, it was announced that the period in which the second round must be held was extended from 21 days to 90 days after the announcement of results. The MDC denounced this as "illegal and unfair", intended to "give Mugabe and ZANU–PF time to torment and continue a campaign of violence on the MDC". The ZESN also asserted that holding the second round after 21 days would be illegal.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Chinamasa, expressing confidence in a victory for Mugabe, also announced on 15 May that ZANU–PF would start campaigning for the run-off, under the theme "100 percent empowerment: Total Independence", as soon as ZEC set the date for the second round. According to Chinamasa, the campaign theme was based on ZANU–PF's view that true independence must include economic independence and that, despite the existing economic crisis, the ultimate reward for pursuing this path would be full empowerment of the people.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Amnesty International said on 15 May that violence was approaching "crisis levels", alleging that MDC supporters were being attacked in a district in Midlands Province as well as in a district in Mashonaland Central; the group placed the death toll from post-electoral violence at 22. According to Amnesty International, "local youths" were being recruited by war veterans for such attacks and the police seemed "unwilling to stop the violence", although they did arrest MDC supporters suspected of engaging in violence.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
On the same day, Biti also claimed that violence was increasing and placed the death toll at 33, while saying that Zimbabwe could not afford for the situation to continue for another 90 days. He said that Tsvangirai would return to Zimbabwe in the forthcoming weekend so that he could be present for an MDC campaign rally and a caucus of elected MPs. Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri met with church leaders and told them that ZANU–PF and the MDC were both orchestrating violence from rural bases, but he said that the police were working to dismantle these bases.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
The ZEC published an announcement in the government gazette on 16 May 2008 stating that the run-off would be held on 27 June 2008. In an interview with The Herald on the same day, Chiweshe said that additional time was needed for the second round because "resources were depleted during the first election"; he stressed that the second round would be "just as big as any general election" and that "substantial" resources would be required.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Speaking at a liberal conference in Belfast in Northern Ireland, Tsvangirai said that 27 June date was illegal and that the government was "changing goal posts to suit themselves" but reiterated his intention to participate; while expressing confidence in victory, he described the MDC as "a government-in-waiting that is not prepared to wait any more".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Addressing the ZANU–PF Central Committee on 16 May, Mugabe was sharply critical of his party's performance in the election, describing the first round result as "disastrous". He said that ZANU–PF had gone into the election "completely unprepared, unorganised" and that the entire party leadership from the national to the local level had to share the blame. Mugabe also accused the MDC of terrorising ZANU–PF supporters in rural areas and warned the MDC that it was "playing a very dangerous game".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi stated on 16 May that all observers who had been invited for the first round would automatically qualify to observe the second round, as well; this includes the AU, the Pan African Parliament, SADC and the East African Community, among others.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
The ZESN alleged on 16 May that its observers were being attacked by ZANU–PF supporters and that some had been injured to the point of requiring hospitalisation. According to ZESN chairman Noel Kututwa, some of the group's observers had reported that it was "no longer safe to observe the election", but he nevertheless said that ZESN planned to "have as many polling stations covered as possible".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Although Tsvangirai had been expected to return to Zimbabwe on 17 May, MDC spokesman George Sibotshiwe announced on that day that his return had been delayed due to information the party had received regarding a claimed plot to assassinate Tsvangirai. Some observers suggested that Tsvangirai's failure to return called into his question his leadership qualities and made it appear that he was afraid of Mugabe and unwilling to risk coming to harm despite the risks taken by his supporters remaining in Zimbabwe.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
On 18 May, The Guardian reported that political dissident Gibson Nyandoro had been tortured to death in military barracks – one of over thirty dissidents killed by ZANU–PF supporters, according to the British newspaper.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
At a news conference in Nairobi on 19 May, Biti said that the military intelligence directorate was in charge of the alleged plot to kill Tsvangirai and that 18 snipers were involved; he claimed that military intelligence had a hit list composed of 36 to 40 names, beginning with Tsvangirai, himself, and Chamisa. Nevertheless, Biti said that Tsvangirai would return soon. Matonga said that the government had no knowledge of such a plot and that Tsvangirai was "playing to the international media gallery".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
ZCTU leaders Matombo and Chibebe were released on bail on 19 May by Judge Ben Hlatshwayo. Along with other restrictions, Hlatshwayo ordered that they "not address any political gatherings" until the conclusion of their case. In a statement on the same day, Human Rights Watch called on the African Union to "publicly demand that the Zimbabwean government halt its campaign of violence, torture and intimidation", alleging that at least 27 people had been killed.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Meanwhile, US State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said that the US was working with countries in the region "to help ensure that there are the proper conditions for a free and fair runoff election", including the independence of the Electoral Commission, the presence of international observers, lack of intimidation of the opposition by the army, free media access, and the ability for the opposition to move around the country peacefully.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
On 20 May, ZANU–PF Secretary for Youth Absolom Sikhosana called on the youth to vote for Mugabe. He said that many people in the first round "voted with their stomachs", hoping Tsvangirai could bring economy recovery, but according to Sikhosana "the same foreign interests who are promising an overnight turnaround in the event of a Tsvangirai presidency are the same who have destroyed the economy".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Sikhosana said that, while Tsvangirai promised employment, Mugabe was offering more: "he is giving the youth the opportunity to own the means of production" and "have full charge of their environment and control their resources", which Sikhosana described as a prerequisite for national wealth. In The Herald on the same day, ZANU–PF spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira denied the existence of any plan to kill Tsvangirai, saying that it had "no foundation whatsoever except in his own dreams". Similarly, Matonga said that the claim of an assassination plot was "stupid". US Ambassador James McGee called on Tsvangirai to return, noting his security concerns but saying that "as a strong leader, he should be back showing his people that he cares every bit as much for them as they do for him."


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
Also on 20 May, in response to Chinamasa's proposal in the previous week to establish joint ZANU–PF/MDC committees to bring an end to the violence, Chamisa said that the MDC was willing to participate in these committees, but he nevertheless strongly criticised ZANU–PF. He said that ZANU–PF had made this offer only due to international pressure, that the violence was ongoing (by this point the MDC placed the death toll at 43), as part of a "grand plan to rig the elections" by attacking MDC supporters and displacing them from their constituencies, and he doubted that ZANU–PF would stop.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, President, Announcement of results, run-up to the second round
MDC MP Ian Kay was arrested on 20 May for alleged responsibility for violence in Mashonaland East, while another MDC MP, Amos Chibaya was arrested on 21 May for allegedly inciting junior officers in the police to rebel.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
Following the election, MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti claimed on 30 March that the Tsvangirai MDC faction had won all 12 of the House of Assembly seats from Bulawayo and five out of six Senate seats from Bulawayo, saying that the remaining Senate seat had gone to David Coltart of the Mutambara MDC faction. He also claimed an overwhelming victory for the MDC in Harare, along with victories in other parts of the country, such as Manicaland, Masvingo, and Mashonaland West.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
On 31 March, after a significant delay, the Electoral Commission announced results for the first six seats. The first to be announced was an MDC victory in Chegutu West constituency, followed by five others; three of the first six seats were won by ZANU–PF and three by the MDC. Later in the day, 18 additional seats were declared, also split evenly between the parties, leaving both ZANU–PF and the MDC with a total of 12. In one of these seats, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa was defeated in the Makoni Central constituency. Later in the day, additional results were released, leaving Tsvangirai's MDC with 30 seats, ZANU–PF with 31 seats, and Mutambara's MDC with five seats.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
By 1 April, results for 131 seats had been released: ZANU–PF had 64 seats, the MDC (Tsvangirai) had 62 seats, and the MDC (Mutambara) had 5 seats. Biti, claiming victory for the MDC, said on 2 April that the MDC had won 110 seats (99 for the Tsvangirai faction and 11 for the Mutambara faction) and that ZANU–PF had won 96.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
Nearly complete results for the House of Assembly on 2 April showed ZANU–PF losing its parliamentary majority: the MDC (Tsvangirai) had 96 seats, ZANU–PF had 94 seats, the MDC (Mutambara) had nine seats, and one seat was won by an independent, Jonathan Moyo. Aside from Chinamasa, six other ministers were defeated: Joseph Made, Oppah Muchingura, Mike Nyambuya, Amos Midzi, Chen Chimutengwende, and Chris Mushohwe.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
Shortly afterwards, final results for the House of Assembly showed the MDC (Tsvangirai) with 99 seats, ZANU–PF with 97 seats, the MDC (Mutambara) with ten seats, and one independent. Despite the MDC (Tsvangirai)'s lead in seats, ZANU–PF was credited with the lead in the popular vote, receiving 45.94% against 42.88% for the MDC (Tsvangirai), 8.39% for the MDC (Mutambara), and 2.79% for minor parties and independent candidates. ZANU–PF won an absolute majority of the popular vote in five provinces: Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Midlands, and Masvingo.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
In Masvingo, although the party won 52.01% of the vote, it took only 12 of the 26 seats, while the MDC (Tsvangirai) won 41.61% of the vote and took 14 seats. The MDC (Tsvangirai) won an absolute majority in Harare and Manicaland. In Bulawayo, the MDC (Tsvangirai) won all 12 seats with 47% of the vote; it also led in Matabeleland North with about 37% of the vote. ZANU–PF won the most votes in Matabeleland South, but won only three seats; the MDC (Mutambara) won seven and the MDC (Tsvangirai) won two.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
ZANU–PF's loss of seats was attributed primarily to major loss of support in Manicaland and moderate loss of support in Masvingo, with support for the respective parties being considered relatively unchanged in the rest of the country. The tendency for ZANU–PF candidates to win large majorities in their strongholds, while the MDC won many of its strongholds more narrowly, was deemed a factor in the disparity between ZANU–PF's lead in the popular vote and the MDC (Tsvangirai)'s lead in the number of seats.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission finished the official counting late in the night of 2 April, four full days after the vote. This raised complaints from the opposition parties, which argued the government was trying to rig the vote, but in the end the opposition MDC (split between two factions) won a majority at the Assembly, with 109 of 210 seats, while the government ZANU–PF achieved 97. The single independent MP in the outgoing parliament, Jonathan Moyo, retained his seat for Tsholotsho North, narrowly beating contender Robert Ncube from the MDC-AM.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
The results became complete, with all 210 seats assigned, after by-elections in the constituencies of Mpopoma, Redcliff, and Gwanda South were contested on 27 June 2008. On 28 June 2008, the Zimbabwe Times reported that Samuel Sandla Khumalo won the constituency of Mpopomo for MDC-Tsvangirai by soundly defeating Minister of Information Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, the ZANU–PF candidate. On 29 June 2008, the Voice of America reported that ZANU–PF was victorious in the by-elections in Redcliff and Gwanda South. As a result, the 2008 election ultimately resulted in the House of Assembly having 110 members of the combined MDC factions (100 for the MDC-T, 10 for the MDC-M), 99 members of ZANU–PF, and one independent.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
Chinamasa said on 9 April that the Electoral Commission had accepted ZANU–PF's requests for recounts in five constituencies, but rejected the requests for seven constituencies; the Electoral Commission had not yet reached a decision regarding the party's requests for nine other constituencies. The MDC filed a petition on 11 April seeking to prevent a recount; however, on 13 April, the Electoral Commission announced that there would be a full recount of both parliamentary and presidential votes in 23 constituencies. The recount was to occur on 19 April, and the presence of party representatives and electoral observers would be permitted.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
The recount was requested by ZANU–PF in 21 of these constituencies and by the MDC (Tsvangirai) in two of them. According to Electoral Commission chairman George Chiweshe, there were "reasonable grounds for believing that the votes were miscounted and that the miscount would affect the results of this election". MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said that the MDC would challenge the recount, alleging that it was "designed to reverse the will of the people".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
On 14 April, an MDC lawyer said that the party had filed "about 60 applications to the Electoral Court" regarding seats in the House of Assembly, requesting that "the declarations of the results be set aside." The MDC alleged fraud, intimidation, and interference with electoral officers, saying that ZANU–PF had bought votes and that its own votes had been undercounted. On 18 April, High Court Judge Antonia Guvava dismissed the MDC's application to stop the recount that was requested by ZANU–PF, ruling that the application was without merit and requiring the MDC to pay court costs.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
Lynette Karenyi, a candidate of the MDC (Tsvangirai) who was elected as MP for Chimanimani West, was arrested and appeared in court on 15 April, where she pleaded not guilty to forging the signatures of four people on the nomination papers that she submitted to the Electoral Court in February.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
By 18 April, seven Electoral Commission officials had been arrested and had appeared in court. One official was charged with manipulating results for the Mazoe South House of Assembly seat, which was won by ZANU–PF's Margaret Zinyemba, in an attempt to make the MDC's Modern Chitenga the winner.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
The recount of votes in 23 constituencies began on 19 April, with party representatives and foreign electoral observers present. It was initially expected to take three days, but due to delays on the first day at some polling stations, Utoile Silaigwana, the Electoral Commission's deputy chief elections officer, said on 20 April that it might take longer. Silaigwana attributed the delays to lengthy "initial consultations" and to polling agents arriving late.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
According to Silaigwana, the recount was "not a small exercise and we want to ensure that there are no mistakes this time around"; he said that it was going well and that there had been no complaints from either of the parties. However, MDC spokesman Chamisa denounced the process as "flawed and criminal", saying that it was a "circus" and that the government was "playing games with the people".


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
Dianne Kohbler-Barnard, a South African Member of Parliament and SADC observer in the election, said on 21 April that the recount was "fatally flawed"; she said that she had seen evidence of tampering with the ballot boxes, along with other problems, and that she believed the recount was being used to rig the results.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
The first recount result, for Goromonzi West, was announced on 22 April; the constituency's initial result, which showed a victory for ZANU–PF in both the House of Assembly and Senate votes, had been contested by the MDC. The recount showed ZANU–PF keeping the seats it had won in the initial count: the recount for the House of Assembly seat showed ZANU–PF gaining one vote, leaving ZANU–PF with 6,194 votes and the MDC with 5,931 votes, while in the recount for the Senate seat the results were exactly the same as in the initial count.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
In the recount for the Zaka West House of Assembly seat and the Zaka Senate seat, which was initiated by ZANU–PF, it was announced on 23 April that the MDC had retained both seats with no changes in the vote tally. All parties expressed satisfaction with the process, and the MDC provincial chairman for Masvingo, Wilstaff Stemele, expressed confidence that the party would also retain the other seats involved in the recount. Silaigwana said on the same day that "recounting in all the remaining constituencies is about 75 percent complete except in Silobela and Masvingo Central", and he anticipated that full results would be ready by the forthcoming weekend (26–27 April).


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
The recount was completed in Zvimba North on 23 April. Results on 25 April showed ZANU–PF candidate Ignatius Chombo, who had won in the initial count for Zvimba North, retaining the seat with an increased margin: he gained 155 votes, while MDC (Tsvangirai) candidate Ernest Mudimu gained 13 votes and MDC (Mutambara) candidate Shelton Magama lost 28 votes. Some ballots that had not been included in the initial count were found and included in the recount total. Meanwhile, recount results for the Zvimba Senate seat showed the winner of the initial count, ZANU–PF candidate Virginia Muchenje, retaining the seat; her total increased by 261 votes, while MDC (Tsvangirai) candidate Fidelis Chiramba's total increased by 295.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
During the recount in Gutu, General Vitalis Zvinavashe, who was the ZANU–PF candidate for the Gutu Senate seat but lost to the MDC's Empire Makamure, told other ZANU–PF candidates on 23 April that they needed to "accept the reality" that the MDC had won, and he stressed that the importance of preserving peace. He blamed Mugabe for the ZANU–PF candidates' defeat, saying that the people of Masvingo had rejected Mugabe and that the parliamentary candidates suffered as collateral damage.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
Silaigwana said on 25 April that the candidates for Chiredzi North, Gutu Central, Gutu North, Gutu South, Buhera South, Lupane East, and Mberengwa South constituencies had all retained their seats in the recount. Of these, Chiredzi North and Mberengwa South had been won by ZANU–PF, Gutu Central, Gutu North, Gutu South, and Buhera South had been won by the MDC (Tsvangirai), and Lupane East had been won by the MDC (Mutambara).


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
It has been claimed, based on the initial recounts, that the recount strategy of ZANU–PF has failed because neither side is gaining or losing seats.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
On 28 April 2008, Tsvangirai and Mutambara announced at a joint news conference in Johannesburg that the two MDC factions were reuniting, enabling the MDC to have a clear parliamentary majority. Tsvangirai said that Mugabe could not remain President without a parliamentary majority. On the same day, Silaigwana announced that the recounts for the final five constituencies had been completed, that the results were being collated and that they would be published on 29 April.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
Emmerson Mnangagwa, acting as President Mugabe's election agent, said on 2 May that ZANU–PF had filed petitions challenging the results of 53 constituencies won by the MDC; similarly, the MDC has challenged the result in 52 seats. Courts have six months to consider the appeals, and another six months for counterchallenges; however, lawyers said that the elected MPs could still be sworn in.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
In order to handle the burden of considering so many petitions, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku appointed an additional 17 High Court judges to the Electoral Court on 29 April, with the appointments being effective until 29 April 2009; previously there had been only three judges on the Electoral Court. Rita Makarau, the Judge President of the High Court, said on 9 May that the cases would have to be completed within six months and that any requests for it to be delayed beyond that would not be accepted.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
According to Chinamasa, speaking to the press in Harare on 11 May, the newly elected MPs would not be sworn in until after the second round of the presidential election.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
Reportedly, twenty ZANU–PF lawmakers have joined the opposition; if that is true, they will have to face by-elections, as crossing the floor automatically causes a by-election to be called for the respective constituency under Zimbabwean electoral law.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
In response to the delay in the sitting of the new Parliament, the MDC held a symbolic meeting of MDC MPs at a conference center in Harare on 30 May. Tsvangirai declared on this occasion that the MDC was the new ruling party and reaffirmed that the MDC factions would cooperate. He said that the MDC's legislative program would be "based on the return of fundamental freedoms to the people of Zimbabwe" and that the party intended to immediately abolish legislation that it considered repressive.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, National Assembly
A new "people-driven constitution" would follow within 18 months, according to Tsvangirai, and a "truth and justice commission" would be established. He also pledged that the party would introduce a new strategy to bring inflation under control and said that there would be measures to "compensate or reintegrate" farmers who lost their land as part of land reform.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, Senate
On 3 April, the Electoral Commission said that the announcement of Senate results was being delayed because of "logistical problems". Late on the same day, the Electoral Commission released the first Senate results: five seats for ZANU–PF and five for the MDC. On 4 April, ZANU–PF Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa said that ZANU–PF intended to contest the results of 16 House of Assembly seats.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, Senate
Describing the election as the worst he had ever seen, Mutasa alleged that some Electoral Commission officials had taken bribes to manipulate the results in favour of the MDC and said that some had confessed to this. He also alleged that some Electoral Commission officials had instructed voters to vote for opposition candidates.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Results, Senate
Final Senate results were released on 5 April, showing the MDC and ZANU–PF with 30 seats each.


2008 Zimbabwean general election, Reactions
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa called an emergency meeting of SADC leaders for 12 April to discuss the post-election impasse. According to Mwanawasa, Zimbabwe's "deepening problems" meant that the issue needed to be "dealt with at presidential level". Jacob Zuma, meanwhile, said that he thought results should have already been announced, and he described the failure to release them as "unprecedented".


2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round
The 2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round was the third round of the inaugural Superleague Formula championship, with the races taking place on October 5, 2008. Eighteen football teams were represented on the grid, the same number of teams as there was at the Nürburgring. There were three driver changes for this round of the championship: Ryan Dalziel returned to the Rangers F.C. car (replacing James Walker), after missing the previous round due to a clash with his Rolex Sports Car Series commitments at Miller Motorsports Park.


2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round
Two drivers made their debuts, with Dutchman Paul Meijer replacing Nelson Philippe in the car representing Borussia Dortmund and Belgian Bertrand Baguette replaced Andreas Zuber in the Al Ain car. The meeting saw a first win for Liverpool F.C. and a second win for championship leaders Beijing Guoan. However, the championship lead for the Chinese side was cut to 14 points.


2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round, Report, Qualifying
After the random draw which split the eighteen-car field into two groups, the fastest four qualifiers from each progressed into the knockout stages to decide places 1 to 8 on the grid. For the third race in succession, drivers missed out on places in the knockout stages, despite setting a faster time than the fourth-placed qualifier in the slower group.


2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round, Report, Qualifying
On this occasion, three Group A drivers were eliminated despite setting times up to half a second faster than the fourth-placed qualifier of Group B. The unlucky drivers turned out to be Max Wissel (FC Basel 1893), Ryan Dalziel (Rangers F.C.) and Enrico Toccacelo (A.S. Roma), who were all quicker than Craig Dolby's R.S.C. Anderlecht machine, which made it through from Group B. A.C. Milan and Atlético Madrid topped their respective groups and were expected to face each other in the final, yet both teams were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Anderlecht and Paul Meijer's Borussia Dortmund machine.


2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round, Report, Qualifying
Sevilla FC and Liverpool F.C. were the other semi-finalists, yet neither would make the final as Meijer and Dolby sealed their places by beating the somewhat more experienced GP2 Series drivers Borja García and Adrián Vallés. In the final, Dolby would not set a time, thus giving Meijer a debut pole, becoming the third different polesitter in three races.


2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round, Report, Race 1
A wet raceday greeted the drivers on Sunday, and it was all action right from the rolling start. Fifth-placed Davide Rigon (Beijing Guoan) and seventh-placed Robert Doornbos (A.C. Milan) came together, with Doornbos being unsighted due to the spray. The accident caused terminal damage to both cars, yet would aid them for the second race of the afternoon - thanks to the reverse grid system. Dolby had taken the lead off Meijer ahead of the midfield chaos, due to a tentative start by the Dutch rookie.


2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round, Report, Race 1
The two ran in very close formation, until a safety car was called for on lap 4, with García in the wall at the Lucien Bianchi Bocht, having dropped a wheel on the wet grass. The mandatory pit stop window came as the safety car was out, and after the race went green, the first of the leaders came in - Vallés from third, complaining of a vibration and balance issues on the Liverpool car.


2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round, Report, Race 1
These new boots had an effect on the Spanish driver rattling off a series of fastest laps and coupled with shoddy pitstops by Dolby and Meijer, a first win was on the cards. Not even a late safety car for spinners Toccacelo and Alessandro Pier Guidi (Galatasaray S.K.) could halt the Vallés steamroller, as he would go on to win by 2.257 seconds from Dolby, recording his third runner-up placing in five races. Following them home were Meijer, Wissel, Andy Soucek (Atlético Madrid), Tristan Gommendy (F.C. Porto), Yelmer Buurman (PSV Eindhoven), Dalziel, Tuka Rocha (CR Flamengo), Antônio Pizzonia (SC Corinthians), Bertrand Baguette (Al Ain), with Duncan Tappy (Tottenham Hotspur) completing the finishers, having suffered a puncture.


2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round, Report, Race 2
After the first race clash between them, Rigon and Doornbos lined up together on the front row and just like the first race, the outside of turn one saw the second-place starter overtake the polesitter around the outside, with Rigon skating his way around the Dutchman. But again, the safety car came out for a first-lap incident. Pizzonia had misjudged his braking point for the Klein Chicane, barrelled past a number of cars and skated straight into Dalziel, causing both to retire.


2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round, Report, Race 2
After this safety car period, Rigon strolled off into a 23-second victory, leaving the rest of the field in his wake. The battle for second was on with both Doornbos and Toccacelo struggling with car setups. Buurman made a mistake while trying to pass the Italian, knocking his pit limiter on and lost ground. García spun again, with an almost carbon copy of his race one spin - this time, he stayed on circuit.


2008 Zolder Superleague Formula round, Report, Race 2
With all the problems about him, Tappy moved through the melée and ended up second, ahead of Buurman, Doornbos, Wissel, Vallés, Toccacelo, García, Kasper Andersen (Olympiacos CFP), Baguette, Meijer, Pier Guidi, Soucek, Rocha and Gommendy. With the win, Rigon managed to get back some of the damage caused to the points lead in race one - Guoan's championship lead now stands at 14 points from PSV with Sevilla falling further back.


2008 Zuiderduin Masters
The 2008 Zuiderduin Darts Masters was a darts competition held from December 12 to December 14, 2008, in Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands, run by the British Darts Organisation and the World Darts Federation. Having been an unranked event in previous years, it was installed as a major tournament in the BDO/WDF darts calendar, following the disbanding of the International Darts League and the World Darts Trophy. Also, for the first time, a women's competition was held.


2008 Zuiderduin Masters
In the men's event, number one seed Gary Anderson defended his title with a 5–4 win over number two seed, Scott Waites. The women's event was won by Lisa Ashton, who replaced the initial top seed Anastasia Dobromyslova following her withdrawal, beating Trina Gulliver in the final.


2008 Zuiderduin Masters, Results, Men's tournament, Group Stage
all matches best of 9 legs. P = Played; W = Won; L = Lost; LF = Legs For; LA = Legs Against; +/− = Leg Difference; Pts = Points


2008 Zuiderduin Masters, Results, Men's tournament, Group Stage
Steve West 86.25 5–4 Ted Hankey 90.75Gary Anderson 95.43 5–4 Ted Hankey 95.70Gary Anderson 101.55 5–0 Steve West 76.26Group B


2008 Zuiderduin Masters, Results, Men's tournament, Group Stage
Mareno Michels 90.60 5–1 Stuart Kellett 82.65Darryl Fitton 95.46 5–2 Stuart Kellett 88.05Darryl Fitton 88.14 5–3 Mareno Michels 88.13Group C


2008 Zuiderduin Masters, Results, Men's tournament, Group Stage
Henny van der Ster 83.13 5–2 Martin Atkins 80.88Mark Webster 95.76 5–4 Martin Atkins 90.15Henny van der Ster 82.53 5–4 Mark Webster 81.66Group D


2008 Zuiderduin Masters, Results, Men's tournament, Group Stage
Alan Norris 86.16 5–2 Geert De Vos 80.82Martin Adams 97.71 5–1 Geert De Vos 78.24Alan Norris 85.80 5–3 Martin Adams 76.26


2008 Zuiderduin Masters, Results, Men's tournament, Group Stage
Brian Woods 95.13 5–0 Willy van de Wiel 80.79Gary Robson 89.88 5–1 Willy van de Wiel 83.85Gary Robson 94.53 5–2 Brian Woods 86.94Group F


2008 Zuiderduin Masters, Results, Men's tournament, Group Stage
Joey ten Berge 92.58 5–3 Andy Boulton 87.27Tony O'Shea 94.32 5–3 Andy Boulton 90.81Tony O'Shea 91.32 5–4 Joey ten Berge 88.80Group G


2008 Zuiderduin Masters, Results, Men's tournament, Group Stage
Mark Barilli 89.82 5–4 Martin Phillips 83.67Martin Phillips 98.31 5–1 Edwin Max 86.37Edwin Max 83.79 5–3 Mark Barilli 84.36Group H


2008 Zuiderduin Masters, Results, Men's tournament, Group Stage
Davy Richardson 90.45 5–2 Ross Montgomery 84.15Ross Montgomery 86.67 5–4 Scott Waites 87.63Scott Waites 88.41 5–0 Davy Richardson 75.72


2008 Zurich Film Festival
The third annual 2008 Zurich Film Festival ran from September 25 to October 5, 2008. Actor Peter Fonda will act as prexy of the feature film jury. The festival introduced a new section this year, Panorama D, dedicated to German-language film from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The showcase opened with the Nicolette Krebitz-directed psychological drama, Das Herz ist ein dunkler Wald (The Heart Is a Dark Forest).


2008 Zurich Film Festival
Highlights of the festival included Toronto and Venice Film Festival hits such as the Coen brothers' Burn After Reading, and the psychological Iraq war thriller, The Hurt Locker directed by Kathryn Bigelow, as well as Religulous, featuring Bill Maher and lensed by Larry Charles. Also screening is a documentary about filmmaker Roman Polanski directed by Marina Zenovich, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. Two films at the festival featured the work of actor Ben Kingsley, Elegy directed by Isabel Coixet and The Wackness helmed by Jonathan Levine.


2008 Zurich Open
The 2008 TENNIS.com Zurich Open was a women's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 25th edition of the event known that year as the TENNIS.com Zurich Open, and was part of the Tier II Series of the 2008 WTA Tour. It took place at the Hallenstadion in Zürich, Switzerland, from 11 October through 19 October 2008. Venus Williams won the singles title.


2008 Zurich Open, Finals, Doubles
Cara Black /  Liezel Huber defeated  Anna-Lena Grönefeld /  Patty Schnyder, 6–1, 7–6(7–3)


2008 Zurich Open – Doubles
Květa Peschke and Rennae Stubbs were the defending champions, but lost in the first round to Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Patty Schnyder.


2008 Zurich Open – Doubles
Cara Black and Liezel Huber won in the final 6–1, 7–6(3), against Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Patty Schnyder.


2008 Zurich Open – Singles
Justine Henin was the defending champion, but retired from the sport on May 14, 2008.


2008 Zurich Open – Singles
Venus Williams won in the final 7–6(7–1), 6–2, against Flavia Pennetta.


2008 Zurich Open – Singles, Seeds
The top four seeds receive a bye into the second round.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq
The 2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq was a month-long offensive conducted by al-Qaeda in Iraq against the multinational coalition of USA, UK, Australia and Poland.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq
On 19 April 2008, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Ayyub al-Masri, called for a month-long offensive against U.S. and Iraqi forces. However, the offensive is generally considered to have started four days earlier, when a series of suicide bombings in four major cities killed nearly 60 people.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq
Shortly after al-Masri's announcement a steady bombing campaign commenced against coalition forces. The series of bombings raised fears that remaining Sunni insurgents, who were still fighting the central government, were regrouping following their major defeat during Operation Phantom Phoenix earlier that year, that left them with only one major urban stronghold in the north, in Mosul.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq
The offensive ended after a month with no clear gains for either side.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
15 April 2008: In Baquba, as many as 53 people were killed and at least 70 more were wounded during a car bombing near the courthouse. A suicide bomber killed 13 people and injured 20 more outside a kebab restaurant in Ramadi. Five policemen were killed and four more were wounded during a suicide bombing at a checkpoint in the Hamidhiya area of Ramadi. In Mosul, a double car bombing killed three people and wounded at least 16 people. In Baghdad, a car bomb targeting a police patrol killed four people and wounded 15 in a central neighborhood.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
17 April 2008: Near Tuz Khormato in the village of al-Bu Mohammed, at least 50 people were killed and 55 more were wounded when a suicide bomber blew up his explosives at a funeral for two U.S.-allied militia members killed a day earlier. The older bomber was dressed in traditional garb and allowed to enter the funeral freely.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
18 April 2008: A suicide bomber attacked a U.S. military patrol near Tikrit killing one soldier.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
21 April 2008: A female suicide bomber attacked a U.S.-allied militia post, killing four people and wounding five others in Baquba.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
22 April 2008: A suicide car bomber at a checkpoint near Ramadi killed two U.S. Marines and wounded three more. Two policemen and 24 civilians were also wounded. A second car bombing, this one at a police station in the city, wounded 20 people, including women and policemen. In Jalawla, a female suicide bomber killed eight people and wounded 17 at a police station.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
23 April 2008: A coordinated attack in Mosul left four dead and nine injured. First, a suicide bomber detonated his vest. When first responders arrived a car bomb blasted them.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
25 April 2008: A series of bombings hit Mosul. Six people were killed, including two policemen, and five others were wounded during a suicide car bombing. Another suicide car bomber killed three and wounded six at an Iraqi army checkpoint. A suicide fuel truck bomber wounded 40 at an Iraqi army base. A car bomb in the Danadan neighborhood wounded three people.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
27 April 2008: Another suicide bombing was conducted in Mosul which left four policemen dead.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
29 April 2008: A female suicide bomber killed two U.S.-allied militiamen and wounded ten others in Baquba. Meanwhile, another female suicide bomber in al-Saldiya killed one person and injured five people, including the district chief.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
30 April 2008: A U.S. soldier was killed in an explosion near Mosul.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
1 May 2008: A female suicide bomber killed 45 people and wounded 76 others in Balad Ruz. After the bomber struck a wedding convoy, another suicide bomber targeted the first responders who arrived on the scene. A car bomb targeting a U.S. patrol killed ten and wounded 26 others near Camp Sara in Baghdad, one U.S. soldier was among the dead and three American soldiers were wounded.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
2 May 2008: Insurgents infiltrated across the Syrian border into Al Anbar province and rounded up and beheaded 11 policemen, along with a son of one of them, from the al-Rimana police station in the area of the border city of Al-Qaim. Four U.S. Marines were killed when their vehicle drove over an IED in al-Anbar province. Also, two Georgian soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in Diyala province.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
5 May 2008: Insurgents attacked an Iraqi Army checkpoint in Balad Ruz killing 10 Iraqi soldiers and wounding 13.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
13 May 2008: A roadside bomb in Mosul killed five Iraqi soldiers.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
14 May 2008: A suicide bomber attacked a Sunni funeral west of Baghdad killing 22 people. A teenage girl, who was strapped with an explosive belt, blew up near Yusifiyah, targeting an Iraqi Army patrol, leaving an Iraqi Army captain dead and seven other soldiers wounded.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
16 May 2008: A suicide car bomber attacked a Fallujah police station. Four policemen were killed and nine others were wounded.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
18 May 2008: A car bomb hit an Iraqi Army patrol in the Zayouna district of Baghdad killing two soldiers and wounding four others.


2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq, Timeline of major attacks during the offensive
19 May 2008: In the town of Baaj, 130 kilometers from Mosul, gunmen ambushed a bus carrying police recruits killing 11 of them.


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia
The amendments of 2008, which were proposed in November 2008 and came into force on 31 December 2008, are the first substantial amendments to the Constitution of Russia of 1993 and extended the terms of the President of Russia and the State Duma from four to six and five years, respectively. Earlier only minor adjustments concerning the naming of the federal subjects or their merging were made, which require a much simpler procedure.


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
President Dmitry Medvedev, who succeeded Vladimir Putin earlier that year, made that brief proposal during his first annual address to the Federal Assembly on 5 November 2008:


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
[ W]e should increase the constitutional mandates of the President and State Duma to six and five years respectively.


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
These issues have been raised repeatedly since the 1990s. Discussions on these subjects have gone on for a long time. Many have made reference to history, which abounds with examples of democratic countries changing the terms and mandates of their state bodies.


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
I will not list all of these examples. These cases are well known. What I want to say is that we are not talking about constitutional reform but about adjustments to the Constitution, about adjustments that are important but are nonetheless no more than clarifications and do not change the political and legal essence of the current institutions. These adjustments provide rather an additional resource for the institutions' stable work. There is no place for a 'reforming itch' with regard to the Constitution.


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
The Constitution is effective, it works, and its basic provisions should remain unchanged for many years to come. Civic rights and freedoms, the nation’s sovereignty, the state system and federal organisation, the organisation principles of the judicial system and local self-government, and the other foundations of our constitutional order have been set for a long-term historical period. As the guarantor of the Constitution, I will preserve and protect these fundamental provisions.


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
The change doesn't apply retroactively and shouldn't affect the current terms of the President and the State Duma and will take effect for the next time. As of 2008, the articles 81.1 and 96.1 of the Constitution of 1993 stipulated that the President and the State Duma should be elected for a term of four years.


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
According to the articles 136 and 108, amendments to the provisions of Chapters 3–8, including the articles 81 and 96, require the same approval as a federal constitutional law, that is, a two-thirds supermajority vote in the State Duma, the lower house and a three-fourths supermajority vote in the Federation Council, the upper house, and come into force as they have passed the Regional legislatures of no less than two-thirds of the 83 federal subjects.


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
The President formally submitted the bill to the State Duma on 11 November. The State Duma, dominated by pro-government parties after the election of 2007, swiftly approved the proposal in the three required readings on 14 November (388 in favor/58 against), 19 November (351 in favor/57 against) and 21 November (392 in favor/57 against). Of the four parties represented in the State Duma, only the Communist Party, represented by 57 members of parliament, opposed the bill. The United Russia, Liberal Democratic Party and Fair Russia all supported the bill. Viktor Ilyukhin, a Communist legislator, commented during discussions in the State Duma on 14 November:


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
Why are we in such a hurry? A strict authoritarian regime has already been established in this country. There is already an unprecedented concentration of power in one person's hands.


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
The fractured opposition outside the parliament also condemned the proposed changes to the constitution. On 26 November the Federation Council approved the bill with 144 votes in favor and one against.


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
Yulia Latynina, journalist for The Moscow Times, speculated that the reform prefigures Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin, probably earlier than in May 2012, when Medvedev's term is set to expire. An unnamed official from the Presidential Executive Office cited by Vedomosti hinted that Medvedev could resign as early as in 2009. According to Vedomosti's source, the alleged plan was masterminded by Vladislav Surkov in 2007. A survey held by VTsIOM on 15–16 November showed 56% support of a longer presidency and extended term of parliament among the Russians. The support, however, was lower in big cities.


2008 amendments to the Constitution of Russia, History
By 18 December the provincial legislatures of all 83 federal subjects of Russia had approved the amendments. The Federation Council reviewed and accepted the approvals on 22 December and on 30 December President Medvedev signed them into law. The amendments were published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta and hence came into force on 31 December 2008.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum
In May 2008, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a Darfur ethnic minority rebel group, undertook a raid against the Sudanese government in the cities of Omdurman and Khartoum.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum
From the government's viewpoint, the attack took place on a single day, May 10, 2008, while JEM has countered the government's account with reports of heavy fighting in parts of the Khartoum metropolitan area into May 11. More than 220 people were reported to be killed in the raid, including a Russian pilot, and scores were later sentenced to death.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum
It was the first time that the War in Darfur, previously confined to western Sudan, reached the country's capital. Overall, the war has claimed the lives of up to 300,000 people, with 2.5 million more made homeless since 2003 (the United States has labeled the conflict in Darfur as genocide, a charge the Sudanese government has rejected). Despite decades of warfare in Southern Sudan, Khartoum had not experienced any street fighting since 1976.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum, The battle
On May 10, 2008, Sudanese National Islamic Front (NIF) government troops and a large group of rebels from Darfur clashed in the city of Omdurman, opposite of Khartoum. Witnesses reported heavy gunfire and artillery fire in the west of Sudan's capital and Sudan People's Armed Forces helicopters and vehicles rushing through the streets towards Omdurman.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum, The battle
As the Justice and Equality Movement rebels in a convoy of 130 all-terrain vehicles approached the capital, a Russian military pilot working as a military instructor Sudanese Air Force climbed into a MiG-29 combat jet and attempted to strafe the column. The plane was shot down by a large-calibre machine gun and the pilot was killed as his parachute did not open after ejecting.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum, The battle
Despite the efforts of the Sudanese and Russian governments to conceal the incident, news of his death was leaked by the independent Echo of Moscow radio station in Russia and the Sudanese newspaper Alwan (which was promptly closed down for having "disclosed sensitive military information harmful to the country’s security and its accomplishments").


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum, The battle
JEM forces entered the city of Omdurman, targeting the Arba'een military base and the Al-Aswat police station. Government troops backed up by tanks, artillery, and helicopter gunships were immediately deployed to Omdurman, and heavy fighting raged for several hours. The rebels then started to move towards the Al-Ingaz bridge to cross the White Nile into Khartoum in an apparent attempt to reach the Presidential Palace, while another JEM force headed towards the National Radio and Television building in Omdurman. Both attacks were repelled by government forces.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum, The battle
After recapturing the strategic military airbase at Wadi-Sayedna, Sudanese government soldiers stopped the rebel advance just short of the country's parliament, and by late afternoon Sudanese TV said that the rebels had been "completely repulsed", while showing live pictures of burnt vehicles and bodies on the street. Sudanese police said the alleged leader of the attackers, Mohamed Saleh Garbo, and his intelligence chief, Mohamed Nur Al-Deen, were both killed in the clash. The government declared an overnight curfew shortly after its announced cessation of hostilities at 1400 GMT. The JEM, however, had denied the government's claim of victory against the rebels, instead stating that fighting was still going on in Omdurman and Khartoum North.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum, The battle
According to a report by Human Rights Watch, sporadic fighting continued for the next 48 hours. Omdurman residents said there was more fighting on the morning of May 11. There were also reports of fighting on May 12 at markets in central Khartoum (west of the American Embassy), and on the other bank of the Blue Nile. Residents in Banat and Al-Muhandiseen areas reported some shootings in the area, and an eyewitness said that the Sudanese security forces set a siege around one of the buildings said to be occupied by the JEM fighters. On the same day, the JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim spoke by telephone to the Associated Press claiming to still be within Omdurman with his fighters, and vowed to continue attacks in a long guerrilla war. The group has identified their goal as the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir's military government.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum, The battle
On May 14, the Sudanese defense minister Gen. Abdul Rahim Mohammed Hussein said 93 of his soldiers and 13 policemen died in the battle, along with 30 civilians and more than 90 Justice and Equality Movement rebels. He also said the rebels lost at least two-thirds of their vehicles, while the interior minister Ibrahim Mahmoud said the government forces destroyed more than 40 and seized about 17 vehicles. Also on this day, JEM admitted defeat in the raid in which they said a third of all their fighters took part, but promised further attacks on the capital. The group's deputy chairman, Mahmoud Suleiman, said in a statement that it "might have lost the Khartoum battle and pulled out in dignity ... but it has not lost the war."


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum, Aftermath
Hassan al-Turabi and ten other members of the oppositionist Popular National Congress party (PNC), a splinter faction of the ruling National Congress, were arrested at dawn in their homes in Khartoum because of their alleged links to the rebels. Turabi was released later that day, denying any such relationship between the PNC and JEM.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum, Aftermath
JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim ruled out any ceasefire with Khartoum unless a political accord is signed, lashed out at the international community, accusing it of impotence in its response to the Darfur crisis, and hailed the position of the Sudanese Communist Party for not condemning the attack. The government said it has learned lessons from the raid and will be better prepared next time. It also offered a US$125,000 bounty for Ibrahim, who has been allegedly wounded during fighting on May 10 in Omdurman.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum, Aftermath
By April 2009, the Sudanese government had sentenced 82 Justice and Equality Movement members, including the top rebel Abdul Aziz Ashur, half-brother of Khalil Ibrahim, to death by hanging as guilty of terrorism and illegal possession of weapons. As one batch of the sentences was handed down, the condemned men stood up and shouted "Go, JEM, go!" and "Go, Khalil, go!" By November 2009, the number of these sentenced for death crossed 100, including six JEM child soldiers; however, scores of other children accused of taking part in the raid were pardoned and freed by President al-Bashir.


2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum, Impact on Sudanese-Chadian relations
Sudan accused its neighbor Chad of providing haven and ammunition to the rebels ("basically Chadian forces"), and the Sudanese government had announced that rebels were moving over the border from Chad to the Darfur region, which is the epicenter of the conflict between Darfuri rebels and pro-government Janjaweed militants; the rebels then moved over some 600 km (370 mi) of desert and scrub from Darfur to the Khartoum metropolitan area. Chad denied the allegations, but Sudan immediately cut off relations with Chad for the first time since a non-aggression pact was signed between the two countries' governments in mid-March.


2008 attack on the Israeli embassy in Mauritania
On 1 February 2008, at least three gunmen who allegedly belonged to the Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb opened fire outside the Israeli embassy in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Armed with rifles and grenades, they injured three bystanders. Eight suspects were later arrested.


2008 attack on the Israeli embassy in Mauritania, Attack
On 1 February 2008, several unidentified gunmen attacked the Israeli embassy in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, in a gun and grenade attack. At 2:20 am local time, between three and six gunmen dressed in turbans and robes approached the embassy building on foot after being dropped off by a car at a close by nightclub and opened fire, shouting  "Allahu akbar." Mauritanian embassy guards posted at the embassy quickly returned fire. Although the overall attack had an "inconsequential" impact, the ensuing gunfight injured three bystanders including a French woman at the nearby nightclub. The attackers then escaped in a vehicle.


2008 attack on the Israeli embassy in Mauritania, Attack
In a statement titled "At your orders, Gaza," the extremist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the attack and personally threatened the Israeli ambassador. According to the United States-based IntelCenter, one of Al-Qaeda's top commanders Ayman al-Zawahri had called for attacks on the Israeli ambassador in 2007. The attack was the latest in a string of violence to impact the country, coming just after the murder of four French tourists, and an attack that killed in three Mauritanian troops in December 2007.


2008 attack on the Israeli embassy in Mauritania, Aftermath
The next day, Mauritanian authorities announced they had detained three suspects approximately 150 kilometers (93 m) from the capital. On 8 February, it was announced that eight people, including an Algerian national, had been arrested in connection to the attack. In response to the attack, Israeli embassies worldwide were placed on a heightened security alert and an Israeli defense official was dispatched to Mauritania to evaluate the embassy's security. The Israeli Ambassador to Mauritania Boaz Bismuth stated on radio: "The opposition savagely attacked Israel because of the situation in Gaza. The media criticized Israel blatantly and exaggeratedly."


2008 attack on the United States embassy in Yemen
The 2008 U.S. embassy attack in Yemen in Sana'a, Yemen on September 17, 2008, resulted in 18 deaths and 16 injuries. Six attackers, six Yemeni police, and six civilians were killed. This attack was the second occurring in the same year, after a mortar attack earlier in 2008 on March 18 missed the embassy and instead hit a nearby girls' school. Islamic Jihad of Yemen, an al Qaeda affiliate, claimed responsibility for the attack.


2008 attack on the United States embassy in Yemen, The attack
The attack began at 09:15 a.m. local time (06:15 a.m. UTC) when attackers dressed as policemen, armed with rocket-propelled grenades, automatic rifles, grenades, and car bombs, attacked the outer security ring at the entrance of the main gate from a car. The embassy, located in the Dhahr Himyar district of Sana'a, is located 250 meters (820 feet) from this security entrance. A 20-minute battle ensued between the terrorists and the embassy security force, during which some embassy security forces were fired upon by snipers from across the road. In the midst of the battle, a car bomb exploded at a second security ring of concrete blocks in an unsuccessful attempt to blow a hole in the wall. Up to five explosions may have occurred during the attack.


2008 attack on the United States embassy in Yemen, The attack
Six members of the Yemeni security forces, six attackers (one of whom wore an explosives belt), and six civilians were killed in the attack. Though no Americans working at the embassy were injured or harmed during the attack, Susan el-Baneh, a newly married woman from New York City, was killed along with her Yemeni husband while waiting outside to fill out paperwork. At least sixteen people, mostly women and children, were treated at two hospitals for injuries.


2008 attack on the United States embassy in Yemen, The attack
Lackawanna, New York Yemeni-American Susan el-Baneh (Elbaneh), age 18, wed a Yemeni in August. She went to Yemen partly to help her new Yemeni husband obtain approval to enter the United States, and both spouses were in a line of civilians waiting to enter the embassy when the attackers opened fire. The Associated Press said Susan Elbaneh was a cousin of Jaber A. Elbaneh, who is on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorism suspects. Elbaneh's family said she had no relationship with her cousin and her sister Shokey Elbaneh commented "Like the people killed in 9/11, people killed in terrorist acts all over the place, we're the same victims."


2008 attack on the United States embassy in Yemen, Responsibility and arrests
The Islamic Jihad of Yemen, an al Qaeda affiliate, has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The group also threatened future attacks against other embassies, including those of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.


2008 attack on the United States embassy in Yemen, Responsibility and arrests
It released a statement: "We will carry out the rest of the series of attacks on the other embassies that were declared previously, until our demands are met by the Yemeni government." Meanwhile, on September 18, 2008, Yemeni authorities arrested 30 suspects allegedly connected to Al-Qaeda. Foreign Minister Abou Bakr al-Qurbi said: "The attack on the U.S. Embassy was retaliation by al-Qaeda for the measures taken by the government to fight the terrorists." United States Department of State spokesman Sean McCormack said that "the multi-phased attack bore all the hallmarks of al-Qaeda."


2008 attack on the United States embassy in Yemen, Responsibility and arrests
On November 1, a Yemeni security official said the attackers had links to al-Qaida. He added that the United Nations had raised its security level in Yemen in response to such threats. He also elaborated that the six Yemeni men who carried out the attack trained at al-Qaida camps in the southern Yemeni provinces of Hadramut and Marib, while three of them had recently returned from fighting in Iraq.


2008 attack on the United States embassy in Yemen, Other incidents
In June 2001, the embassy was closed temporarily after militants were found with explosives and maps of the area, around the embassy.


2008 attack on the United States embassy in Yemen, Other incidents
On January 26, 2009, three gunmen in a car opened fire at a checkpoint near the embassy. Security forces chased them and managed to stop the car. All three men were arrested and there were no injuries.


2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul
2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul was a series of attacks which targeted the Christians in Mosul, Iraq. The Christians of Mosul who were already targeted during the Iraq War left the city en masse heading to Assyrian villages in Nineveh Plains and Iraqi Kurdistan. Both Sunni extremists, and Kurdish peshmerga were blamed for the attacks.


2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul, Background
Religious minorities in general and Christians in particular were badly affected by the rise of Islamic fundamentalism after the invasion of Iraq. A number of Christians was killed in Baghdad and Mosul, and on 1 August 2004 a series of explosions targeted Churches in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk leaving 15 dead and 71 injured.


2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul, Background
On 13 March 2008, the body of the Chaldean Archbishop of the city, Paulos Faraj Rahho, was found buried in a shallow grave near Mosul. Rahho was the highest ranking Christian cleric to be killed in Iraq.


2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul, Attacks, October attacks
The first series of attacks started in October when Christians families were given choice of death or converting to Islam. By the end of the month around 14 Christians were killed and more than 13,000 were forced to flee to Nineveh Plains. The Iraqi government pledged to $900,000 to help the refugees.


2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul, Attacks, November attacks
Seven bodies belonging to Christians were found in the streets of Mosul on early November. A house belonging to Syriac Catholic sisters was attacked and two nuns were killed and a third severely injured. Around 500 families were forced to flee the city as a result, where they found refuge in Churches and with relatives in nearby villages.


2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul, Aftermath, 2009 attacks
In January 2009 15 Christians were killed in Mosul and more Christians fled to the Nineveh Plains and Christian villages in Iraqi Kurdistan seeking safety.


2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul, Accusation of Kurdish involvement
These attacks were however blamed on the Peshmerga who were forcing Christians out of their homes by threatening them with death or by killing them. Eyewitnesses claimed some of the assailants were identified by their dialect as Kurds trying to pose as Arabs. Rumour circulated that Kurds had secretly targeted the Christians in order to draw them to their side during an anticipated referendum concerning the Disputed territories of Iraq, of which the Christians form a substantial minority.


2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul, Accusation of Kurdish involvement
Some Iraqi and American military officials denied the allegations of Kurdish responsibility. Younadem Kana, a member of Iraq’s parliament and head of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, said media reports, including the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, “published lies under my name” accusing the Kurds of allowing violence to displace more Mosul Christians. “My statements were changed and fabrications were published under my name,” said Kana, who also heads the Assyrian Democratic Movement. He said the accusation against Kurds, first publicized at a press conference Oct. 25 by Sunni parliamentarian Osama al-Nujaifi, were “baseless.”


2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul, Accusation of Kurdish involvement
Accusations against Kurdish groups were also made by al-Hadba Arab political bloc of Mosul, which is led by Osama Al Naijafi and his brother, Atheel, the current governor of Nineveh.


2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka
The 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka were a wave of attacks directed against Christian churches and prayer halls in the Indian city of Mangalore, and the surrounding area of southern Karnataka, in September and October 2008 by Hindu organizations, the Bajrang Dal and Sri Ram Sena. The attacks were widely perceived by Christians in southern Karnataka to be punishment from the right-wing Hindu nationalist organisations because Christians had been outspoken about Christian persecution in Orissa, and after the murder of Swami Lakshmanananda, a Hindu monk, allegedly killed by the local Christian community. Additionally, because the New Life Fellowship Trust (NLFT), a fundamentalist, non-denominational Christian Church, was alleged by the Bajrang Dal to be responsible for forced conversions of Hindus to Christianity.


2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka
Several isolated incidents against Christians were reported from 17 August onwards. On 29 August some 45,000 institutions across India participated in a "prayer for peace and communal harmony" in response to the ongoing anti-Christian violence in Orissa. The attacks began on 14 September, when a group of youths from the Bajrang Dal went inside the chapel of Adoration Monastery of the Sisters of St-Clare in Hampankatta and desecrated it.


2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka
Some 20 churches and prayer halls, including Catholic and Protestant churches, temples belonging to the Jehovah's Witnesses and other evangelical sects, and colleges were damaged in towns and villages in the Mangalore taluk and other parts of the Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Chikkamagaluru districts. A few Christian institutions were later attacked in Bangalore and Kasaragod district. The Christian community responded to the attacks within hours and began protesting.


2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka
The massed protesters blocked arterial city roads, especially in places such as Hampankatta, Kulshekar, Bejai, Derebail and Thokottu and rang bells in almost all the churches of Mangalore, calling parishioners to the churches. The protests led to strong police suppression with lathi charges and tear gas, making around 150 arrests and injuring 30 to 40 people. The incident marked the first time that Catholics had ever resorted to violence in Mangalore when provoked. Between 15 September and 10 October, a new wave of anti-minority attacks began against Christian communities in the Indian states of Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, New Delhi, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand, as well as Muslim communities in Gujarat and Maharashtra.


2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka
The September 2008 attacks had political significance, given that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka state government were accused of involvement and of backing the anti-Christian campaign. The police were reported to have had knowledge of the imminent attacks but failed to prevent them. They were criticised for their reaction to the protests and a report by a committee of human rights activists, set up in the aftermath to examine the causes of the attacks, claimed that police had used the event as a pretext to assault the community, rather than defend it.


2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka
Justice B. K. Somasekhara of Karnataka, however, concluded that the police and government helped maintain order and were not responsible for the attacks. In response to the alleged forcible conversions of Hindus, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) gave a three-month deadline for the New Life Fellowship Trust (NLFT) to stop all conversion activities in Mangalore. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore declared that it would distance itself from the NLFT.


2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka
In February 2011, retired Justice M. F. Saldanha, spoke out against the protests and published a report in which he described the attacks as "state-sponsored terrorism". He said that the attacks were part of "communal forces" at work attacking Christian institutions on the coastal belt of India. That report, and continued denial by the state government of being implicated in the attacks, led to more than 100,000 Christians representing some 45 Christian denominations and secular organisations leading a silent march in Mangalore on 21 February. Following publication of the reports and subsequent protests, the government of Karnataka announced that it would drop 338 cases against Christians who had protested the attacks, and in December 2011 a further 23 cases against Christians were dropped.


2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka, Background and cause, Historical reasons
Mangalore has long been a major Christian centre in India. In 1526, under the viceroyship of Lopo Vaz de Sampaio, the Portuguese took possession of Mangalore and Christianity began to spread via their missionaries. Many Christians migrated to South Canara from Goa. The Mangalorean Catholics were persecuted by Tipu Sultan during his reign between 1782 and 1799 and many were forcibly converted to Sunni Islam. On 24 February 1784, Tipu rounded up 60,000 to 80,000 Mangalorean Catholics and transported them to Seringapatam.


2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka, Background and cause, Historical reasons
They were held there in captivity for 15 years, until the British defeated the Mysoreans at the Battle of Seringapatam on 4 May 1799, with Tipu being killed in action during the battle. Only 15,000–20,000 of those Catholics taken captive in 1784 survived. In the latter half of the 19th century, Protestant missionaries began working in Mangalore and surrounding communities, and the Vicariate of Mangalore was established in 1853. Mangalore, noted for its many churches and the strong representation of Catholics, was at one time known as the "Rome of the East".


2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka, Background and cause, Historical reasons
However it is also noted as a pilgrimage centre for Hindus, given its numerous Hindu temples and shrines. Between 1991 and 2011, the percentage of Christians living in India reportedly dropped from 2.7 per cent to 2.2 per cent, a declining figure which has been linked to ongoing difficulties facing Christians in a predominantly Hindu nation. In 2008, an estimated 320,300 Christians were living in the Dakshina Kannada district.


2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka, Background and cause, Historical reasons
"Historically, Dakshina Kannada district has been a very long standing RSS / VHP stronghold. Right from the days of the freedom movement and thereafter when Gandhi was assassinated by a group of fanatics who maintained that his brand of politics was unacceptable to the Hindu fundamentalists, the district has always been the nerve-centre of these movements with regular morning drills on the maidans (grounds), processions, baithaks (seatings) and sammelans (meetings).