Irish missionaries in Zimbabwe are to stay in the country despite escalating tensions in what opposition leaders have called a state-orchestrated campaign of murder and violence.The dozen Irish missionaries based in the country - most of whom are in their 60s or are near retirement - are Jesuits or members of the Kiltegan Fathers, Franciscan and Carmelite Orders.
There are also Irish priests seconded from British-based dioceses.
Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe last Friday staged run-off elections which were described as ‘‘an exercise in mass intimidation’’ by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
He then pulled out of the election for the safety of his supporters.
A spokesman for the Franciscan Order, which has three Irish priests based in the capital, Harare, said it would be monitoring the situation and that the clerics were ‘‘keeping a low profile’’.
‘‘Obviously, the situation is tense there at present, but we are keeping a constant eye on it, and would consider what action to take if the situation changed,” said the Franciscan provincial secretary, Fr Joe McMahon.
Three Irish Kiltegan Fathers, who are also based in the Harare diocese, were ‘‘very eager to remain’’, according to a spokesman for the mission. Fr John Marren said the three men have been in Zimbabwe since the mid-1990s.
Fr Michael Bennett, from Ardee, was a member of the Kiltegan Fathers’ mission in Mutare until his permit to remain there was blocked earlier this year.
He said Irish priests based in Zimbabwe would not wish to leave ‘‘just because things get tough’’.
‘‘We are different to development or aid workers in that we learn the language and the customs and make this our home. There is a real sense that the people want us to remain at this time, and that we are needed now as much as ever,” Bennett said.
Bennett said that non-black priests were not being targeted at present, but added that local clerics had been attacked by youths affiliated to the ruling Zanu-PF party.
He said that, while he did not think the attacks were sanctioned by a directive from the ruling party, priests were targeted because they were outspoken about injustice. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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