NCJ Number
219461
Date Published
March 2007
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper provides an overview of the antiterrorism measures in place in Zimbabwe, a country in the southern part of Africa.
Abstract
Although Zimbabwe has laws that target terrorism within the country, there are no laws that focus on international terrorism. Zimbabwe's legal measures for dealing with terrorism came up short when on March 7, 2004, the control tower at Zimbabwe's International Airport was contacted by the crew of a Boeing 727-100, seeking permission to land for the stated purpose of refueling. Upon landing, a search of the plane by Zimbabwean authorities revealed 64 passengers who were obviously mercenaries. A plan was revealed for the plane to take the mercenaries to Equatorial Guinea, where they intended to use force to remove the lawful government of that country. Although the crew and passengers were detained under Zimbabwe's immigration law, it was clear that Zimbabwe had no basis under its law to address the specific circumstances of this case, i.e., terrorists using Zimbabwe as a staging point for an attack on another country. It is clear to Zimbabwean Government officials that the country's laws must be upgraded to conform to the universal conventions and protocols pertinent to combating international terrorism. The definition of terrorism in Zimbabwe's law must be expanded to include terrorist acts that do not have targets in Zimbabwe, so that the country will not become a safe haven for terrorists. Training, supporting, and harboring terrorists, as well as obstructing a terrorist investigation and withholding any information on terrorist activities should be criminalized. Zimbabwe has taken steps to prevent the commission of such terrorist acts as the recruitment of members of terrorist groups and the prevention of the financing, planning, facilitating or committing terrorist acts from Zimbabwe's territory.