Hundreds of veterans of Zimbabwe's guerrilla war for black rule marched through the capital Friday in an ominous sign that President Robert Mugabe might turn to intimidation and violence to stave off an electoral threat to his 28-year rule.Police escorted about 400 veterans as they silently marched through downtown Harare. The veterans, Mugabe loyalists who fought in the bush war that helped end white minority rule in Rhodesia, often are used to intimidate opposition supporters. They also spearheaded the often violent takeover of white farms in recent years.
Mugabe's embattled ZANU-PF party was to hold a critical meeting Friday to discuss strategy as it confronts massive losses in elections expected to cause a presidential runoff.
Zimbabwe's main opposition party says that Mugabe has "unleashed a war" in his bid to stay in power after party offices were raided and foreign journalists detained on Thursday.
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