UPDATE - Zimbabwe: 8 feared dead in protests, Internet cut off

REVISES HEADLINE, DEATH TOLL, ADDS DETAILS

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) – At least eight people have been killed in Zimbabwe as thousands protest against high fuel prices, a human rights organization said Tuesday.

“As a result of the crackdown, at least eight people have reportedly been killed by the security forces and 200 arbitrarily detained,” Amnesty International said in a statement.

It appealed to Zimbabwean authorities to ensure that security forces exercise restraint and respect the rights of people protesting against the massive fuel price hikes.

Earlier, the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) said at least five people had been killed and more than 26 had been reportedly shot by the police.

Local media reports quoted State Security Minister Owen Ncube as saying that some lives had been lost and police officers had been injured but gave no figures.

Riots broke out in Zimbabwe on Monday, barely two days after President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced a more than 100 percent rise in gasoline and diesel prices in an effort to conserve supplies as the country grapples with severe fuel shortages.

Angry mobs swarmed roads in the suburbs of the capital Harare and nearby Bulawayo, calling on the government to immediately start talks with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance Party on repairing the country’s economy.

On Tuesday, protesters barricaded roads and burned tires, blocking traffic for a second day.

-Internet shut

Local media reports also claimed early Tuesday that Zimbabwean authorities had shut down the Internet.

Zimbabwe technology news website TechZim claimed it had reliably been informed that the government directed telecom operators to cut off web access.

George Manyati, a resident of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, confirmed on Twitter that he could not get online.

“Got blocked from WhatsApp since morning,” he wrote.

Anadolu Agency correspondents in Zimbabwe were unreachable via social media, as messages sent to them went undelivered.

Zimbabwe’s NewsDay newspaper asked its readers on Twitter if they were facing any difficulties in accessing the Internet. Many responded that there was a blackout, though they could access Twitter.

Zimbabwean government spokesmen were unreachable for comment.