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Thread: When is a fall not a fall? When Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's spin doctors say s

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    Well, at least somebody in Africa acknowledges it...

    Time for Mugabe to go, says Botswana President Khama
    September 21, 2016 - Zimbabwe's 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe should step aside without delay and allow new leadership of a country whose political and economic implosion since 2000 is dragging down the whole of southern Africa, Botswana President Ian Khama said.
    Despite his reputation as one of Africa's most outspoken figures, Khama's remarks are certain to raise hackles in Harare, where factions of Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party are locked in a bitter struggle to succeed the only leader Zimbabwe has known. Asked by Reuters if Mugabe, who came to power after independence from Britain in 1980, should accept the reality of his advancing years and retire, 63-year-old Khama responded: "Without doubt. He should have done it years ago." "They have got plenty of people there who have got good leadership qualities who could take over," Khama, the UK-born son of Botswana's first president, Seretse Khama, and his British wife, Ruth, continued. "It is obvious that at his age and the state Zimbabwe is in, he's not really able to provide the leadership that could get it out of its predicament," Khama said, in comments that breach an African diplomatic taboo banning criticism of fellow leaders.


    President of the Republic of Botswana, Seretse Khama Ian Khama

    Botswana, the world's largest producer of diamonds, shares 800 km (500 miles) of border with Zimbabwe and has felt the full effects of its neighbour's economic collapse under the weight of political violence and hyperinflation since 2000. Although the economy stabilised in 2009 with the scrapping of the worthless Zimbabwe dollar, a slump in commodity prices over the last two years has triggered a cash crunch that has fed through into unprecedented public anger at Mugabe. No clear potential successor has emerged from the destabilising factional fight to take over after Mugabe. Khama said the instability was damaging Botswana's efforts to wean itself off mining - which accounts for 20 percent of GDP and nearly 60 percent of exports - by promoting itself as a regional logistics and services hub.


    Two statues of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe were unveiled at State House, the president's official residence and office in the capital Harare

    The unrest was also forcing more and more Zimbabweans to leave the country, he added. Botswana is home only to an estimated 100,000 Zimbabweans - a fraction of the 3 million believed to be in South Africa - although this is still enough to strain public services in a nation of 2.3 million people. Botswana's jails held "significant numbers" of Zimbabweans, Khama said. "It is a big concern," the British-trained former general said. "It is a problem for all of us in the region - and it is a burden. There's no doubt about that."

    RESURRECTION MAN

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    Instead o' arrestin' him, Dey oughta give him a medal...

    Zimbabwe Ruling Party Accuses Army Chief of Treason
    November 14, 2017 - Zimbabwe's ruling party has accused the armed forces chief of "treasonable conduct" after he threatened to intervene in the country's political affairs.
    Tuesday's statement from the ZANU-PF party was released amid worries that the military might be taking action to oust longtime President Robert Mugabe. Witnesses reported tanks and armed personnel carriers moving on roads outside the capital; however, Harare was calm and embassies issued no security alerts for their citizens. A spokesman for the State Department told VOA, "We are aware of the reports and are monitoring the situation."


    Soldiers stand beside military vehicles just outside Harare, Zimbabwe

    The current tension was sparked last week when President Robert Mugabe fired his deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and accused him of disloyalty and plotting to seize power. Many observers saw the move as a step toward the installation of Mugabe's wife, Grace Mugabe, as vice president. That would put the first lady in position to become president when her 93-year-old husband retires or dies.

    At a Monday news conference, the head of Zimbabwe's armed forces, General Constantino Chiwenga, warned he would "step in" unless Mugabe stopped trying to purge the ruling ZANU-PF party of Mnangagwa supporters. Dozens have been arrested since the vice president was fired on November 5. Tuesday's ZANU-PF statement, signed by party information secretary Simon Khaya Moyo, said that Chiwenga's comments were "clearly calculated to disturb national peace and stability" and meant to "incite insurrection and violent challenge to the Constitutional Order."


    President Robert Mugabe talks to General Constantino Chiwenga in Harare, Zimbabwe.

    President Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since the country won independence from Britain in 1980. Mnangagwa, 75, was seen for years as a likely successor to the president, and maintains strong backing in the army. He is now believed to be in South Africa. Grace Mugabe, 52, has support in the party's youth wing and is believed to have engineered the firing of another vice president, Joice Mujuru, in 2014.

    https://www.voanews.com/a/witnesses-...l/4114360.html

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    Mugabe ousted in Zimbabwe...

    Zimbabwe crisis: Army takes over, says Mugabe is safe
    Wed, 15 Nov 2017 - President Mugabe's situation is unclear, with gunfire heard in the Harare suburbs where he lives.
    The military has seized control in Zimbabwe but has said President Robert Mugabe, in power since 1980, is safe. After seizing state TV, an army spokesman announced it was targeting people close to Mr Mugabe who had caused "social and economic suffering". The move came after Mr Mugabe sacked his deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, in favour of his wife, Grace. Heavy gun and artillery fire could be heard in northern parts of the capital Harare early on Wednesday. A statement read out by a general on air denied it was a coup. There was no immediate word from the president himself.


    Soldiers patrolled Harare, Zimbabwe on Wednesday

    Mr Mugabe, 93, has dominated the impoverished country's political scene since independence from the UK. The UK Foreign Office advised Britons "currently in Harare to remain safely at home or in their accommodation until the situation becomes clearer", while the US embassy in Harare advised US citizens in Zimbabwe to "shelter in place" until further notice. China, Zimbabwe's biggest trading partner, says it is closely watching the situation and hopes that the relevant parties can properly handle their internal affairs.

    How did the military justify its move?

    Troops in armoured vehicles have been out in the streets of the capital Harare since Tuesday. After soldiers overran the headquarters of the ZBC broadcaster, Maj Gen Sibusiso Moyo went on air to say the military wished to "assure the nation that his Excellency the president... and his family are safe and sound and their security is guaranteed". "We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes... that are causing social and economic suffering in the country," he said. "As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy."


    General Chiwenga had warned of a military takeover

    Other key points of the statement included:

    * Citizens should remain calm and limit unnecessary movement
    * The military assures the Zimbabwean judiciary that its independence is guaranteed
    * Security services should "co-operate for the good of our country" and any provocation would "be met with an appropriate response"
    * All leave for the defence forces is cancelled and personnel should return to barracks immediately

    It is not clear who is leading the military action. Army chief Gen Constantino Chiwenga had said the army was prepared to act to end purges within the ruling Zanu-PF party.

    What do we know of the shooting?

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    Zimbabwe's military could force President Mugabe to resign...

    Did Mugabe go too far?
    Wed, 15 Nov 2017 - Zimbabwe's military could force President Mugabe to resign - but they won't want to humiliate him.
    Zimbabwe's military says its actions do not amount to a takeover. It still refers to Robert Mugabe as the commander-in-chief of the country's defence forces. But practically speaking, Mr Mugabe is not in charge if his forces can step in to usurp his authority. This is not a coup d'état in name, but it appears to be in action. The military takeover of the national broadcaster, the presence of troops on the streets and major access points, and even forced entry into the presidential palace are traits of a military takeover - at least as we have seen them in Africa. One thing that is lacking is that the constitution has not been suspended. The cementing of democracy across Africa has led to a general regional and continent-wide aversion to violent takeovers of government. Even in the past, coup-stagers often promised a quick handover to civilian government through elections or a negotiated transition.


    President Mugabe's ties to the military date from the liberation struggle

    So far in Zimbabwe, the military is not showing any intention of assuming a governing role. However, it has someone it would prefer to do that. Emmerson Mnangagwa, the recently sacked vice-president, is held in high regard in Zimbabwean military circles. He was involved in the struggle for independence, and in 1980 created the Zimbabwe National Army by fusing the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (Zipra) and Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (Zanla) with the remnants of the former Rhodesian security forces. He was seen as the natural successor for the top office. President Mugabe sacked Mr Mnangagwa last week at the prompting of the First Lady Grace Mugabe, who has political aspirations and has publicly opposed the former vice president, but does not have support within a military where the liberation legacy is held in high esteem.


    The military says it has not taken control of the country

    The top military officials were part of the liberation struggle, like their comrade and president Mr Mugabe, so they have supported his government over the years because he has served their interests. They did not act this way in 2014, when Mr Mugabe sacked his previous Vice President Joice Mujuru, a former independence fighter, in a similar power struggle. This time though, there is a sense the president might have gone too far. Earlier this week, the commander of Zimbabwe's Defence Forces, General Constantino Chiwenga, warned the Zanu-PF governing party to stop the purge against independence war veterans.


    Grace Mugabe is a divisive figure in Zimbabwe

    Following his dismissal and escape to South Africa, Mr Mnangagwa promised to return to regain control of the ruling party from the Mugabes. This suggested his confidence in the support he had from the military. So the next step would be to negotiate his return ahead of the party congress in December, where he could be affirmed as the president's successor. At worst, the military will force Mr Mugabe to resign - but they will not want to humiliate him further because of the history they share. They will also extend the courtesy to Grace Mugabe, in spite of her recent actions.

    Painful memories
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    Zimbabwe takeover seems like a coup, African Union says
    Wed, 15 Nov 2017 - The military moves to seize power, with veteran President Robert Mugabe under house arrest.
    The Zimbabwean military's takeover of power and detention of President Robert Mugabe "seems like a coup", key regional bloc the African Union says. Its head, Alpha Conde, said the AU demands an immediate return to constitutional order. The military denies staging a coup, saying that Mr Mugabe is safe and that it was acting against "criminals" surrounding him. Their move follows a power struggle over who might replace Mr Mugabe. His vice-president, Emmerson Mnangagwa was fired last week, making Mr Mugabe's wife Grace the president's likely successor - but leaving top military officials feeling sidelined.

    Mr Mugabe, 93, has dominated the country's political scene since it gained independence from the UK in 1980. Responding to the developments, Mr Conde, who is also Guinea's president, said Zimbabwean soldiers "had obviously attempted to take power". The AU had "serious concern" at the situation and "reiterates its full support to the country's legal institutions", the statement said. The BBC's Anne Soy in Zimbabwe points out that Egypt was ejected from the AU after its 2013 coup, so it may be the Zimbabwean military is trying to avoid antagonising the bloc by not describing their actions as a coup.

    How the drama unfolded

    After days of tension and rumour, soldiers seized the state broadcaster ZBC late on Tuesday. A Zimbabwean army officer, Major General Sibusiso Moyo, went on air to say the military was targeting "criminals" around President Mugabe. "This is not a military takeover of government," he insisted. Maj Gen Moyo also said Mr Mugabe and his family were "safe and sound and their security is guaranteed". It is not clear who is leading the military action.

    Since then, military vehicles have been out on the streets of Harare, while gunfire has been heard from northern suburbs where Mr Mugabe and a number of government officials live. In a statement, the office of South African President Jacob Zuma, said: "President Zuma spoke to President Robert Mugabe earlier today who indicated that he was confined to his home but said that he was fine." There has been no direct comment from President Mugabe, nor his wife Grace, whose whereabouts are unclear.

    How we got here

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    What next for Zimbabwe?...

    Mugabe has gone, but will Zimbabwe change?
    22 November 2017 - Up to the moment itself the extraordinary session of parliament had proceeded along expected lines. Speaker after speaker rose to denounce the excesses of the president and his wife.
    A female MP was speaking of how her constituents were suffering when we saw the messengers approach the speaker. They handed him a letter. A jolt of energy swept the hall. At first there were cheers of anticipation. The speaker rose. The next 10 minutes will remain engraved in my memory. We strained to hear the speaker through the muffled public address system. But the words "statement of resignation" were clear. And the wild cheering, the thumping of tables, the dancing and singing told all of us who were present that the age of Robert Mugabe was over. From the corridors outside where Zanu-PF activists had gathered, the MPs could hear loud cheers and singing mingle with their own celebrations. On the floor of parliament - a hotel ballroom specially converted for the session - I watched MPs and senators dance, arms around each other, as the solemn procession of mace bearers left the chamber.


    Among the more bizarre experiences was finding ruling-party legislators offering themselves for interview to the BBC. A week ago most foreign journalists were banned from the country. One party stalwart, MP Keith Guzah, told me he believed real democracy would now take root in Zimbabwe. "He has gone and I am happy, happy, happy for my country." Another MP told me her greatest joy was that Zimbabwe had managed the transition "without the shedding of blood." It was a comment that ignored the bloodshed and pain inflicted by her party during the decades of Robert Mugabe's rule. Leaving parliament I moved up through the city towards Africa Unity Square, the heart of Harare, pausing several times as I was enveloped by ecstatic crowds. A man fell to his knees and raised his arms to the sky. A young woman, wrapped in the national flag, shouted: "Do you see this you guys? Do you see this? It is history in the making."

    On the square I ran into Ben Freeth, a farmer who lost his land and whose family were brutally tortured during the land invasions. Like so many others he was struggling to believe that the moment of Mr Mugabe's departure had arrived. "He was going, going, going and now he's finally gone," he said. As we spoke a group of revellers approached. Suddenly we were surrounded by embracing arms. "And you can see," said Ben, "we are in this together!" Will this spirit of unity, this freedom from fear, endure under a new dispensation? I cannot be at all certain. The presumptive new leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is mired in the excesses of the Mugabe era. He was the deposed president's loyal henchman for decades and only struck against him to prevent Grace Mugabe from succeeding to the presidency.

    MORE
    See also:

    Zimbabwe needs immediate economic reforms, warns IMF
    23 Nov.`17 - Zimbabwe must act quickly to dig its economy out of a hole and access international financial aid, the International Monetary Fund has warned.
    Government spending and foreign debt are too high and it needs structural reform, Zimbabwe mission chief Gene Leon told Reuters news agency. The country's incoming leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has pledged to grow the economy and provide "jobs, jobs, jobs". The once-thriving economy is now seen as a regional basket case. "The economic situation in Zimbabwe remains very difficult," Mr Leon told Reuters. He said high government spending should be reined in and Zimbabwe should address the large international debt it has defaulted on. "Immediate action is critical to reduce the deficit to a sustainable level, accelerate structural reforms, and re-engage with the international community to access much needed financial support," Mr Leon said.


    Incoming new leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has promised "jobs, jobs, jobs" but analysts say rescuing Zimbabwe's economy is a huge challenge

    Robert Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe for 37 years, stepped down earlier this week under pressure from the military and his own Zanu-PF party. His policies, including disastrous land reforms and printing too much money, are blamed for the calamitous state of Zimbabwe's economy. On Thursday, Zimbabwe's main opposition called for deep-rooted political reform to dismantle the repressive apparatus that sustained Mr Mugabe's regime. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said it was cautiously optimistic that a Mnangagwa presidency would not "mimic and replicate the evil, corrupt, decadent and incompetent Mugabe regime", reported AFP news agency. It is unclear whether Zanu-PF will govern alone ahead of scheduled elections next year, or whether a coalition government of national unity that includes opposition groups will be formed.

    Economic slide

    Zimbabwe's economy is half the size it was at the turn of the millennium. Zimbabwe has not had a currency of its own since 2009, when the old Zimbabwean dollar buckled under hyperinflation - which is said to have reached 231 million per cent, worse even than the notorious levels in Germany following World War One. Cash shortages mean Zimbabweans can often be seen queuing at banks. Economists say Zimbabwe needs a cash injection, but it has been barred from borrowing internationally since it began defaulting on its debt in 1999.


    With bribe-taking police replaced - at least for the time being - by the military, some Harare residents report a fall in crime

    Some residents of the country's capital, Harare, say they have already seen an improvement in their daily lives since the army came into the streets and Mr Mugabe was forced from office. One benefit, they say, is the absence of police road blocks on the streets where officers demanded bribes from those travelling around. "There used to be so many police roadblocks, with the driver having to pay $1 or $2 (75p-£1.50)" Spiwe Azvigumi, 31, an unemployed mother of three, told AFP. "With the police off the roads, crime is actually down - they were so corrupt and now we are living free."

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42093895
    Related:

    Zimbabwe's New Leaders Are None Other Than Mugabe's Former 'Enforcers'
    November 21, 2017 - Jubilant crowds filled the streets of Zimbabwe’s cities on Tuesday, after the country’s speaker of parliament announced that President Robert Mugabe had resigned after decades in power.
    Just shy of a week ago, Zimbabwe’s military took power in the capital and detained Mugabe in his home. Since then, the military and the ruling ZANU-PF party steadily increased pressure on the longtime ruler to leave office until it seems he finally relented. But while Zimbabweans express their joy and relief over what appears to be the end of Mugabe’s 37-year authoritarian rule, the nature of his downfall and the ruthless past of his successor are troubling signs for a country that has seen years of repression.

    ‘These People Were Mugabe’s Enforcers’

    The military and ZANU-PF will soon install Mugabe’s former deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, as Zimbabwe’s new president. The development has human rights groups deeply worried, as both Mnangagwa and the military that backs him have been key players in the country’s past abuses. “These people were Mugabe’s enforcers for the last 37 years,” said Dewa Mavhinga, the Southern Africa director at Human Rights Watch. In the 1980s, Mnangagwa served as national security minister and controlled the Central Intelligence Organization under Mugabe. Mnangagwa has long-standing ties to the army as a result, including sharing culpability for some of the government’s worst atrocities. “The military has been implicated in some of the most serious human rights abuses in Zimbabwe’s past,” Mavhinga said.


    Emmerson Mnangagwa, seen here during elections in 2008, is poised to become Zimbabwe's new leader.

    Mnangagwa was security minister at the time of Mugabe’s “Gukurahundi” campaign that, from 1983 to 1987, saw security forces kill thousands of people whom the ruling government perceived as political opponents or accused of fostering dissent. In 2008, the military launched yet another crackdown in which armed forces killed or disappeared at least 200 opposition supporters during the country’s election. Mnangagwa is reported to have been a key go-between for the military and ZANU-PF in orchestrating those attacks. There has been no accountability for these abuses, according to Mavhinga, and since many of the officials active or complicit in carrying them out now stand to rule Zimbabwe, it seems extremely unlikely that they will answer for their actions anytime soon. “It’s a change in leadership of individuals, but the authoritarian system remains intact,” Mavhinga said.

    Fears For The Future Of Zimbabwe

    The army’s takeover has so far seen a reshuffling of the country’s elite power brokers, but massive reforms are needed to change a political system with an entrenched history of human rights abuses and authoritarianism. Rights groups fear that there’s no guarantee the military coup will lead to much-needed transition toward free and fair elections, and could instead further deteriorate democracy and the rule of law in the country. The ruling ZANU-PF party’s chief whip, Lovemore Matuke, said on Tuesday that Mnangagwa would stay on as leader until elections in 2018, but it remains to be seen whether that vote is conducted fairly and without a crackdown on political opposition as there has been in the past. “Zimbabwean elections for many years have relied on limiting the number of people who are allowed to participate,” said Piers Pigou, senior consultant for Southern Africa for the International Crisis Group think tank.

    MORE

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    No plans for his prosecution...

    'Hero' Robert Mugabe granted immunity in Zimbabwe
    Nov. 23, 2017 -- Former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has been granted immunity and will not be prosecuted after 37 years in power, multiple sources said Thursday.
    Simon Khaya Moyo, a spokesman for the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, told Bloomberg Mugabe is no longer in power but is being regarded as the "hero" of the country's independence. "There aren't any plans for former President Robert Mugabe; he's free to stay in Zimbabwe and he won't face prosecution," the spokesman said, adding neither he nor his family are regarded as enemies of the state.


    Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is to remain in his country and will not be prosecuted, according to multiple sources in Zimbabwe.

    Col. Overson Mugwisi, a spokesman for the Zimbabwean Defense Forces, confirmed to CNN a deal was reached where Mugabe and his wife Grace will be granted immunity and a guarantee of safety. The couple will be allowed to stay in the country. Mugabe came to power in 1980 following Zimbabwe's independence from British colonial rule. Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, is to be sworn into office on Friday.

    According to Bloomberg, the new administration will not include opposition party members. "To my knowledge, there aren't any plans to include the opposition in the government while Zanu-PF has the people's mandate," Moyo said. Mnangagwa was allegedly involved in coordinating the massacres of the '80s, ordered by Mugabe, during which as many as 20,000 people were killed for opposing the ruler. Mnangagwa, whose nickname is the "Crocodile," is known for his political cunning and resilience, according to CNN.

    https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-N...&utm_medium=13

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    Palace intrigue did Mugabe in...

    Special Report: 'Treacherous shenanigans' - The inside story of Mugabe's downfall
    November 26, 2017 - Inside State House in Harare, Robert Mugabe was in the tightest spot of his 37-year rule. Tanks were on the streets and troops had occupied the state broadcaster, from where the army had announced it had taken control of Zimbabwe.
    Mugabe, 93 years old but still alert, remained defiant. The only leader the country had known since independence was refusing to quit. At a tense meeting with his military top brass on Nov. 16, the world’s oldest head of state put his foot down: “Bring me the constitution and tell me what it says,” he ordered military chief Constantino Chiwenga, according to two sources present. An aide brought a copy of the constitution, which lays out that the president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

    Chiwenga, dressed in camouflage fatigues, hesitated before replying that Zimbabwe was facing a national crisis that demanded military intervention. Mugabe retorted that the army was the problem, according to the sources present. Then the beleaguered president indicated that perhaps they could find a solution together. The meeting marked the start of an extraordinary five-day standoff between Mugabe and Zimbabwe’s supreme law on one side, and the military, his party and Zimbabwe’s people on the other.

    The generals wanted Mugabe to go, but they also wanted a peaceful “coup,” one that would not irreparably tarnish the administration aiming to take over, according to multiple military and political sources. The president finally accepted defeat only after he was sacked by his own ZANU-PF party and faced the ignominy of impeachment. He signed a short letter of resignation to parliament speaker Jacob Mudenda that was read out to lawmakers on Nov. 21. Mugabe, who had run Zimbabwe since 1980 and overseen its descent into economic ruin while his wife shopped for luxury goods, was gone.

    The country erupted into ecstasy. Parliamentarians danced and people poured onto the streets in their tens of thousands to celebrate a political downfall that sent shockwaves across Africa and the world. To many, the end of Mugabe had been unthinkable only one week before. Reuters has pieced together the events leading up to Mugabe’s removal, showing that the army’s action was the culmination of months of planning that stretched from Harare to Johannesburg to Beijing.

    BITTER RIVALRY

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    Quote Originally Posted by waltky View Post
    Palace intrigue did Mugabe in...

    Special Report: 'Treacherous shenanigans' - The inside story of Mugabe's downfall
    November 26, 2017 - Inside State House in Harare, Robert Mugabe was in the tightest spot of his 37-year rule. Tanks were on the streets and troops had occupied the state broadcaster, from where the army had announced it had taken control of Zimbabwe.
    Wonder how much we meddled in it?
    There is no God but Resister and Refugee is his messenger’.

    Book of Democrat Things, Chapter 1:1






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    Uncle Ferd says we prob'ly promised `em aid...

    ... if dey'd get rid of him...

    ... is cheaper dan a war.

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