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Background
Britain annexed Southern Rhodesia from the South Africa Company in
1923. In 1961 a constitution was formulated to keep whites in power. In
1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence, but Britain
did not recognise the act and demanded voting rights for the black
African majority in the country (then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions
and a guerrilla uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and
independence as Zimbabwe in 1980. Robert Mugabe, the nation's first
prime minister, has been the country's only ruler. Mugabe and his party
won the last elections held in 2000 and 2002 amid accusations of statesponsored
violence and intimidation
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