Britain sets contigency plans to evacuate British nationals from Zimbabwe. (18-08-07)

ilitary commanders are reviewing contingency plans for the evacuation of nearly 22,000 Britons from Zimbabwe after months of rising violence and food shortages in the political and economically threatened Southern Africa Country.

A diplomatic source said the evacuees will go to London via South Africa and Botswana .

“We take our duty of caring for British nationals in Zimbabwe very seriously”, High Commission Official Spokesperson Russ Dixon told The Zimbabwean

“We provide a full consular service in Harare and are keeping Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Travel Advice under constant review. We are making efforts to ensure all British nationals, including those who are vulnerable and elderly, are aware of the assistance we can offer them”, he added.

The commission said Britain has consular contingency plans but has not yet gathered enough evidence that British national in Zimbabwe are under threat


“There is no evidence yet that British nationals as a group are being threatened but we have consular contingency plans as we do for all countries should the situation change”, Dixon said adding “ The current situation in Zimbabwe is unpredictable, volatile and could deteriorate quickly, without warning. Consular contingency plans focus on the safety of British Nationals in a third country, in the worst case, by assisting their departure, usually by non-military means”.

High commission source said the Ministry of Defence has been asked by the British government to look urgently at what logistical help it could provide amid real concerns about Zimbabwe ‘s glide into chaos.

The sources said that the review was focusing on a “civil contingency plan”, which included seeking help from South Africa and Botswana together with other neighbouring countries.

Dixon however said there is no plan to send in troops: “A military evacuation from any third country would only ever be used as a last resort”.

The diplomatic source said under existing plans British nationals in Zimbabwe would be advised to take routes out of Zimbabwe into South Africa and to head for a former military base at Artonvilla in Limpopo province and if the MoD were unable airlift them, the chartered commercial aircraft would fly the evacuees to London .

There are between 17,500 and 22,000 British nationals still living in Zimbabwe that if the evacuation begins would be entitled to bring their families and dependants with them.

President Mugabe denies human rights violations in Zimbabwe and accuses western governments of plotting to topple his government and replace it with the MDC he claims is a puppet of Britain .