Shari Eppel | Mercyhurst University (original) (raw)

Papers by Shari Eppel

International Journal of Transitional Justice, 2014

Danish medical bulletin, 2002

INTRODUCTION Politically motivated violence around elections in Zimbabwe has been documented befo... more INTRODUCTION Politically motivated violence around elections in Zimbabwe has been documented before. A fact-finding mission was planned and undertaken two months ahead of the presidential election March 2002. METHODOLOGY We interviewed and examined persons who alleged exposure to politically motivated torture, ill treatment and other human rights abuses. We assessed the validity of individual statements of torture and ill treatment and assessed existing similarities between histories of individual interviewees, e.g., as to timing of the assault and use of torture instruments to further appraise the validity. We analysed the results of our findings in relation to a newly introduced law restricting civil rights, and to the experiences of disrespect for the rule of law in Zimbabwe. RESULTS Four men gave accounts of being beaten systematically with barbed wire and electrical cable all over their bodies. The clinical findings were in complete agreement herewith and their histories were m...

International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2021

In order to determine the population allele frequencies of autosomal STR markers of forensic inte... more In order to determine the population allele frequencies of autosomal STR markers of forensic interest in the Zimbabwean population, we analyzed a sample of 478 individuals from 19 different ethnic groups using the PowerPlex® Fusion 6C Kit (Promega Corp, Madison, Wisconsin). The data obtained were compared among the different Zimbabwean ethnic groups as well as with several African populations to establish whether significant differences exist among them. No significant differences were found among the ethnic groups in Zimbabwe. Statistically significant differences were observed between allele frequencies in Zimbabwe and some other African populations, although FST with neighboring Bantu populations from South and Southeast regions were low (below 0.005 in most single locus comparisons).

Post-Conflict Hauntings, 2020

On the 15th September 2008 Zanu PF and the two MDC formations signed a political agreement broker... more On the 15th September 2008 Zanu PF and the two MDC formations signed a political agreement brokered by Thabo Mbeki under the mandate of SADC. The agreement was the culmination of a process that had begun in March 2007, which was itself preceded by various other attempts by African leaders, as far back as 2004, to bring an end to the Zimbabwean political crisis. The central aim of the September agreement was to find a power sharing arrangement that would reflect the balance of political power in the country after the March 2008 Harmonised elections, which, together with the abortive presidential run-off election at the end of July 2008, left the issue of the presidential election unresolved. While the Agreement left key areas, such as the allocation of ministerial portfolios unresolved, it also comprised a good basis for moving the political situation forward in Zimbabwe.

Developing a Transformation Agenda for Zimbabwe analyses the political and economic constraints o... more Developing a Transformation Agenda for Zimbabwe analyses the political and economic constraints on the nation's reconstruction and democratic transformation and suggests options for transformation in key sectors as well as lessons learnt from other transformations. The challenges in relation to transitional justice are analysed from an historical context as well as in light of the political dynamics in the country. The urgent need to launch a stabilisation programme is discussed, along with key issues for economic reconstruction. The book also looks at military involvement in politics in Zimbabwe and concludes that robust intervention is needed to reform the security sector.

The Oxford Handbook of Zimbabwean Politics

Zimbabwe has had only one real transition of power, at independence in 1980. Since then, Zimbabwe... more Zimbabwe has had only one real transition of power, at independence in 1980. Since then, Zimbabwe has had a long history of (selectively) drawing lines through the past and of extreme political intolerance. The ruling party ZANU-PF has acted ruthlessly against any political opposition—first in the 1980s, when many thousands of civilians in the west of the country were massacred during the deployment of a special brigade, targeted at the support base of ZAPU, then the dominant political party in that region. Systematic repression and torture in this region led to the first semi-transition in 1987, with the Unity Accord. The uneasy peace was broken again in 2000, with the rise of the MDC, and once more violence was unleashed to ensure ZANU-PF retained its increasingly militarized power base. A government of national unity and a coup marked further semi-transitions. These multiple eras of state violence and semi-transitions have all been accompanied by calls for initiatives to promote ...

A global perspective, 2015

Danish medical bulletin, 2002

Politically motivated violence around elections in Zimbabwe has been documented before. A fact-fi... more Politically motivated violence around elections in Zimbabwe has been documented before. A fact-finding mission was planned and undertaken two months ahead of the presidential election March 2002. We interviewed and examined persons who alleged exposure to politically motivated torture, ill treatment and other human rights abuses. We assessed the validity of individual statements of torture and ill treatment and assessed existing similarities between histories of individual interviewees, e.g., as to timing of the assault and use of torture instruments to further appraise the validity. We analysed the results of our findings in relation to a newly introduced law restricting civil rights, and to the experiences of disrespect for the rule of law in Zimbabwe. Four men gave accounts of being beaten systematically with barbed wire and electrical cable all over their bodies. The clinical findings were in complete agreement herewith and their histories were mutually consistent. In ten additi...

Journal of Eastern African Studies, 2008

Journal of Eastern African Studies, 2008

Journal of Southern African Studies, 2009

International Journal of Transitional Justice, 2014

Danish medical bulletin, 2002

INTRODUCTION Politically motivated violence around elections in Zimbabwe has been documented befo... more INTRODUCTION Politically motivated violence around elections in Zimbabwe has been documented before. A fact-finding mission was planned and undertaken two months ahead of the presidential election March 2002. METHODOLOGY We interviewed and examined persons who alleged exposure to politically motivated torture, ill treatment and other human rights abuses. We assessed the validity of individual statements of torture and ill treatment and assessed existing similarities between histories of individual interviewees, e.g., as to timing of the assault and use of torture instruments to further appraise the validity. We analysed the results of our findings in relation to a newly introduced law restricting civil rights, and to the experiences of disrespect for the rule of law in Zimbabwe. RESULTS Four men gave accounts of being beaten systematically with barbed wire and electrical cable all over their bodies. The clinical findings were in complete agreement herewith and their histories were m...

International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2021

In order to determine the population allele frequencies of autosomal STR markers of forensic inte... more In order to determine the population allele frequencies of autosomal STR markers of forensic interest in the Zimbabwean population, we analyzed a sample of 478 individuals from 19 different ethnic groups using the PowerPlex® Fusion 6C Kit (Promega Corp, Madison, Wisconsin). The data obtained were compared among the different Zimbabwean ethnic groups as well as with several African populations to establish whether significant differences exist among them. No significant differences were found among the ethnic groups in Zimbabwe. Statistically significant differences were observed between allele frequencies in Zimbabwe and some other African populations, although FST with neighboring Bantu populations from South and Southeast regions were low (below 0.005 in most single locus comparisons).

Post-Conflict Hauntings, 2020

On the 15th September 2008 Zanu PF and the two MDC formations signed a political agreement broker... more On the 15th September 2008 Zanu PF and the two MDC formations signed a political agreement brokered by Thabo Mbeki under the mandate of SADC. The agreement was the culmination of a process that had begun in March 2007, which was itself preceded by various other attempts by African leaders, as far back as 2004, to bring an end to the Zimbabwean political crisis. The central aim of the September agreement was to find a power sharing arrangement that would reflect the balance of political power in the country after the March 2008 Harmonised elections, which, together with the abortive presidential run-off election at the end of July 2008, left the issue of the presidential election unresolved. While the Agreement left key areas, such as the allocation of ministerial portfolios unresolved, it also comprised a good basis for moving the political situation forward in Zimbabwe.

Developing a Transformation Agenda for Zimbabwe analyses the political and economic constraints o... more Developing a Transformation Agenda for Zimbabwe analyses the political and economic constraints on the nation's reconstruction and democratic transformation and suggests options for transformation in key sectors as well as lessons learnt from other transformations. The challenges in relation to transitional justice are analysed from an historical context as well as in light of the political dynamics in the country. The urgent need to launch a stabilisation programme is discussed, along with key issues for economic reconstruction. The book also looks at military involvement in politics in Zimbabwe and concludes that robust intervention is needed to reform the security sector.

The Oxford Handbook of Zimbabwean Politics

Zimbabwe has had only one real transition of power, at independence in 1980. Since then, Zimbabwe... more Zimbabwe has had only one real transition of power, at independence in 1980. Since then, Zimbabwe has had a long history of (selectively) drawing lines through the past and of extreme political intolerance. The ruling party ZANU-PF has acted ruthlessly against any political opposition—first in the 1980s, when many thousands of civilians in the west of the country were massacred during the deployment of a special brigade, targeted at the support base of ZAPU, then the dominant political party in that region. Systematic repression and torture in this region led to the first semi-transition in 1987, with the Unity Accord. The uneasy peace was broken again in 2000, with the rise of the MDC, and once more violence was unleashed to ensure ZANU-PF retained its increasingly militarized power base. A government of national unity and a coup marked further semi-transitions. These multiple eras of state violence and semi-transitions have all been accompanied by calls for initiatives to promote ...

A global perspective, 2015

Danish medical bulletin, 2002

Politically motivated violence around elections in Zimbabwe has been documented before. A fact-fi... more Politically motivated violence around elections in Zimbabwe has been documented before. A fact-finding mission was planned and undertaken two months ahead of the presidential election March 2002. We interviewed and examined persons who alleged exposure to politically motivated torture, ill treatment and other human rights abuses. We assessed the validity of individual statements of torture and ill treatment and assessed existing similarities between histories of individual interviewees, e.g., as to timing of the assault and use of torture instruments to further appraise the validity. We analysed the results of our findings in relation to a newly introduced law restricting civil rights, and to the experiences of disrespect for the rule of law in Zimbabwe. Four men gave accounts of being beaten systematically with barbed wire and electrical cable all over their bodies. The clinical findings were in complete agreement herewith and their histories were mutually consistent. In ten additi...

Journal of Eastern African Studies, 2008

Journal of Eastern African Studies, 2008

Journal of Southern African Studies, 2009