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UK reviews Zim evacuation plans
17/08/2007 07:27 - (SA)
London - Military officials are reviewing evacuation plans for up to 22 000 British nationals in former colony Zimbabwe, The Times reported in its Friday paper.
A spokesperson for the defence ministry declined to comment on the validity of the report, saying: "As you would expect, the MOD constantly reviews contingency plans for troublespots around the world where Britons are living."
According to the newspaper, which cited unnamed diplomatic sources, the review was focused on a "civil contingency plan" which would rely on help from neighbouring countries.
The Times said that under current plans, Britons in Zimbabwe would be instructed to leave the country into South Africa and meet at a military base there.
At that point, they would either be airlifted to Britain by defence aircraft, or chartered commercial planes.
"At the last count, there were between 17 500 and 22 000 British nationals still living in Zimbabwe," an unidentified official told the daily.
"If there was an evacuation they would be entitled to bring their families and dependents with them, which is what happened when we evacuated British passport holders from Lebanon last year."
Britain evacuated thousands of nationals from Lebanon last summer in the midst of Israeli bombing of the country.
Britain has been accused of seeking regime change by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled the former British colony since independence in 1980.
Mugabe has blamed sanctions for his country's economic downspiral characterised by inflation exceeding 5 000%, 80% unemployment and a critical shortage of food, fuel and other basic commodities.
But critics say the problems started with his controversial land reforms in 2000, which saw the government seize at least 4 000 farms from white commercial farmers for reallocation to landless blacks and state cronies.
- AFP
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