Tension

Abstract

Soames and his staff now faced two related problems. The first was the continuing high level of incidents attributable to outstanding ZANLA groups. The second was the attitude of the Rhodesian commanders. They had scarcely anticipated ending the assembly process with the Front still in the settlement — expecting ZANLA in particular either to make no effort to assemble the majority of their forces, or undisciplined units to start fighting the monitoring force. They protested that ZANLA had used the period of disengagement to move large numbers of men across the Mozambique border, in violation of the cease-fire agreement. Soames had already authorized a Rhodesian deployment along the eastern border. Appeals were also made to the government of Mozambique. But they were no more able than the Rhodesians to control much of the border; and they wanted as many ZANLA as possible inside Rhodesia.