6 particularly in the countryside, that their vote will not be secret and that there will be reprisals after the elections. Impunity & Accountability One of the most critical issues in the history of human rights in Zimbabwe is the fact that serious violations of human rights have neither been investigated nor the perpetrators identified and punished. In 1980, the independence settlement included a blanket amnesty for perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses committed during the war for independence. Those who served in Rhodesia's military and security forces who had been involved in extrajudicial executions and torture were thus incorporated without sanction into the new Zimbabwe government's military and security forces. Inevitably this sent a clear signal that the commission of human rights violations was acceptable and would go unpunished. Methods of carrying out human rights violations were also passed from the Rhodesian to the newly integrated Zimbabwean forces, often practised by the very same people. As a result, the pattern of violations during the Matabeleland crisis of 1983-1988 was similar to that during the war of independence. Once more, political expediency resulted in a blanket amnesty, so that no-one was brought to justice for the extrajudicial executions and political killings, rapes and torture. Amnesty International is concerned that this longstanding climate of impunity is facilitating the repetition of similar human rights abuses in the run-up to the June elections. Climate of intimidation in the run-up to the elections In conclusion, the government has failed to ensure that all Zimbabweans are able to exercise their rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly and movement in the run-up to the elections. The government must urgently act to end human rights violations so that all Zimbabweans are able to participate in the election process freely and without fear. Amnesty International therefore urges that the following steps be taken without delay: Recommendations in order to end the culture of impunity an independent, international and impartial commission of inquiry should be constituted and invited to Zimbabwe to investigate reports of extrajudicial executions, torture and ill-treatment in accordance with international standards for such inquiries; the government of Zimbabwe should invite the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on torture to visit the country and conduct investigations;