black liberation war movements that were fighting colonialism had power battles among themselves that Masipula Sithole labelled Struggles within the Struggle.7 Sithole details the bimodal ethnic categorisation of Zimbabwean nationalist movements and the social identity fault lines that defined alliances during the war against the white settler regime. A dialogue about racial conflicts and black against black violence during the colonial era has, however, been avoided for decades yet they continue to define socio-economic and political contexts in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Army 1980. Picture by Brian Harris/Rex/Strutterstock b) Entumbane Uprisings and Gukurahundi Atrocities (1981-1987) When the liberation struggle concluded, an attempt was made at the end of 1980 to demobilise all combatants including the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and the Rhodesian Army towards the formation of an integrated Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA). However, an internecine conflict between ZIPRA and ZANLA forces in their assembly points escalated leading to violent conflicts mainly in Entumbane in 1981.8 Dissenting ZIPRA forces were contained by the ZNA follo w e d b y a l e n g t h y episode of massacres of innocent civilians between 1982 and 1987. The massacres, through an operation code-named Gukurahundi, were carried out mostly by a state sponsored ‘5th Brigade’ allegedly deployed to contain ZIPRA rebellion led by Joshua Nkomo who was a leader of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU). The 5th Brigade was an elite North Korean trained roving military unit that was deployed in the Matabeleland region between 1981 and 1987 to deal with allegations of dissidents. 7Sithole M. (1999). Zimbabwe: Struggles within the Struggle, (1957-1980).2nd Ed. Harare. Zimbabwe. Rujeko Publishers. 8Binda, A. (2007). Masodja: The History of the Rhodesian African Rifles and Its Forerunner the Rhodesia Native Regiment. South Publishers. 4 RECONCILIATION PROCESSES IN ZIMBABWE