7 The EU, both in its preliminary report and in its final report, made very damning comment about the violence. 4 The election campaign was marred by high levels of violence and intimidation. Most areas of the country were affected. An assessment of political violence since February 2000 made by the EU Observer Mission, together with reports from EU Observers deployed across the country since early June, attributed the bulk of political violence to ZANU-PF. The evidence showed that between February and June ZANU-PF was engaged in a systematic campaign of intimidation aimed at crushing support for opposition parties. Key groups of the electorate whom ZANU-PF deemed to be opposition supporters were targeted by war veterans and other party supporters operating from bases on white-owned farms they had invaded, from militia camps in other rural areas and from Government and party offices in rural towns. Farm labourers on white-owned farms across the country were threatened and abused, forced to attend party meetings and taken off to reeducation camps. Thousands of incidents of assault, torture, abduction and rape were recorded. Several prominent MDC organizers were murdered. The EU Observation Mission report also noted, whilst acknowledging that MDC had been involved in violence, that ‘their responsibility for such activities was far less’. The EU Observation Mission also noted that there was strong evidence for government condoning the violence and also in noy ensureing an end to the violence. In campaign speeches, ZANU-PF leaders seemed to sanction the use of violence and intimidation against political opponents and contributed substantially to the climate of fear that overshadowed the election campaign. Calls for peaceful campaigning and efforts to restrain party supporters, including war veterans, were often ambiguous. The police frequently witnessed violence and intimidation, but appeared to be under instructions not to intervene. 4.2.1 Violence during by-elections 4.2.1 Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) ZESN made strong comments about the violence that accompanied the by-elections in Bikita west and Marondera West. As they commented about Marondera West: Long term monitors who were deployed in the constituency from 1st November to 27th November reported various levels of political violence characterised assaults, threats of a return to war or evictions and killings. Furthermore, the media, especially the independent press, also highlighted reports of the same. Two people lost their lives when this political violence flared up. Several people were also injured with one person reported to have sustained a broken leg. 4 See European Union (2000), Report of EU Observation Mission on the Parliamentary Elections which took place in Zimbabwe on 24th and 25th June 2000, 4 July 2000.