In 1964, the Central African Federation broke up. Malawi and Zambia achieved their national independence from the British, but Southern Rhodesia, a third member of the Federation, continued to be controlled rigidly by the 270,000 white minority.

On 11 November 1965, the Governor of Rhodesia, Sir, Humphreys Gribbs, assumed control of the country. The Southern Rhodesia government of the suspended Prime Ministers Ian smith rebelled against the British government and seized independence unilaterally (UDI). On 19 December 1965, UNO passed a resolution condemning UDI. Many countries cut ties with UDI and applied selective embargo on rebel Rhodesia.

A couple of days after East and central African leaders: Obote, Nyerere, Kenyatta, and Zambia's vice president Mr. Rueben Kamanga and the Zambian foreign minister met in Nairobi to find ways of pressing Britain to take a tougher line in dealing with the regime of Mr. lan Smith. They agreed on a joint line of action against Rhodesia and Britain.

At the same time, militant anti- apartheid Racial Adjustment Action Society based in London opened up recruitment centres for black mercenaries aged 18 - 35 years to meet Rhodesia's seizure of independence. The society leader Michael X. gave a statement in London following the declaration of UDI condemning Smith's rebellion.

The British government rejected UDI, an act described by the British Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Wilson, as being illegal and ineffective in law. However, Britain did not take practical steps to dismantle it.

1965, OAU maintained a liberation committee at Dar-es-Salaam to act as a Clearing House for volunteers and equipment

Between 1966 and 1967, freedom fighters attacked railway lines, maimed cattle and destroyed crops. Between this period too. ANC in South Africa announced an alliance with ZAPU, with the stated aim of defeating white minority governments in both countries.

A series of fearless talks were held between Britain and Rhodesia in 1968, and 1969 in an attempt to resolve the crises but to no avail.

By 1969, Rhodesian passports were not accepted anywhere in the world outside Southern Africa.

1970, Frolizi was formed in Lusaka, Zambia, as a third force by Shelton Siwela to reinforce the liberation struggles of ZANU and ZAPU.

2.3.1970, Rhodesia was declared a Republic. Ten days later, elections were held. Rhodesian Front Party (RPP) won all SO seats. Africans also took part in these elections.

December 1971, Bishop Abel Muzorewa, the American Methodist church leader, formed the African National Council (ANC) to explain and expose the dangers of the white minority government's drift to apartheid.

July 1973, lan Smith made his first change of mind by starting a number of talks with the British, and Abel Muzorewa, leader of ANC. But these talks did not yield any meaningful resolution on either side.

April 1974, Lisbon Coup weakened the Portuguese in Mozambique, an ally of lan Smith in Rhodesia. This gave new confidence among Rhodesian political leaders.

June 1974, following the Lisbon coup, ANC held a meeting at Salisbury and rejected the terms of an agreement which had been negotiated in 1974 between Abel Muzorewa and lan Smith.

8 December 1974, Lusaka Agreement was signed between Joshua Nkomo (ZAPU), Rev. Sithole (ZANU). James Chikerema (Prolizi) and Abel Muzorewa (ANC) under the chairmanship of Zambian President, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. This agreement led to the release of African political detainees including Robert Mugabe who had been imprisoned about 1963. ZANU's followers rejected Rev. Sithole in favour of Robert Mugabe.

1 June 1975, angry Africans went on rampage through Salisbury black townships and 11 Africans were shot dead, 15 wounded by Rhodesian police. Groups of Africans went on setting fire to shops, beer stalls and cars. The violence was sparked off when police killed 5 Africans as they tried to quell down a day long feuding in the Highfield Township between 2000 members of rival militant African nationalist movements. This cold- blooded murder by the police was condemned by Bishop Muzorewa.

August 1975, Nkomo - Smith constitutional talks took place at Victoria Falls. They were talks for a majority rule which the people of Zimbabwe had been denied for about 100 years. But the talks, which were a logical consequence of the talks started by Bishop Muzorewa and lan Smith with some member states of the OAU, ended in deadlock.

September 1976, USA secretary of state, Dr. Henry Kissinger, on a key stage of his African peace shuttle, met face to face with the rebel leader lan Smith in Pretoria South Africa. Dr. Kissinger informed Mr. Smith that USA, Britain and Black African leaders wanted him to hand over power and independence to the breakaway colony black majority. The meeting was seen as a break through with Rhodesia government which had refused to surrender power shiftily to the nation's 6 million blacks.

Dr. Kissinger argued out that as far as f the USA was concerned, the concept of human dignity must have universal application, and the USA could not accept any concept based on separation of races. However, nationalist leaders like Joshua Nkomo, and the front-line states leaders such as Kenneth Kaunda and Julius Nyerere warned that the meeting would enhance Mr. Smith's international stature i.e. risked antagonising African leaders with the USA.

In Pretoria, Dr. Kissinger worked out a guide with lan Smith for a settlement of Rhodesia. Thereafter, he made visits to the Front Line States' leaders:

Kaunda, Nyerere and Neto to convince them that the settlement was not a sell out for Rhodesian blacks. In Lusaka, 18.9.1976, Dr. Kissinger met Joshua Nkomo.

22 September 1976, Rhodesian cabinet reached a consensus on Dr. Kissinger's peace plan to end Rhodesian constitution impasse. But the final decision depended on the ruling Rhodesian Front Party's parliamentary group.

22 September 1976, the rebel Rhodesian government and the ruling party 50 strong members accepted the Kissinger proposals for black majority rule in 2 years on the understanding that the freedom fighters would ease. Details of the so called 'Kissinger Plan' drafted by Britain, and USA in consultation with African leaders were still secret. But part of it included international guarantees for the rights of 270,000 whites in Salisbury which had a black population of 6 million. In addition, the plan included compensation for the whites who chose to leave Rhodesia, which Smith government had declared independent since 1965.

Mugabe shakes hands with Muamur Gadaffi. Libya supported liberation movements in Africa.

26 September 1976 Black African leaders from the Front-line states met in Lusaka to seek ways to bring majority rule to Rhodesia motion now accepted by the Salisbury government which requested that it should also be allowed to attend the conference. The Front-line states attacked Britain in its supposed role as umpire between blacks and whites in Rhodesia. Julius Nyerere, chairman of the 5 nation alliance, stated on behalf of the Front-line states that Britain ought to take full responsibility as a colonial power in Rhodesia at the Geneva conference on Rhodesia's future, and later during the proposed transition to full independence. The Geneva conference on Rhodesia was proposed by Dr. Kissinger.

January 1977, Anglo-American peace talks in London, USA vice president Walter Mondale met with the British Prime Minister James Callaghan and British Foreign Secretary, Anthony Crossland, to seek each other's vie s on how to handle the situation resulting from Smith's rejection of the British proposals for transition to black majority rule. Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe applied to OAU for recognition as the sole representative of the Rhodesian people. The alliance had already been accorded full support by the 5 influential black African Front Line States,

February 1977, Andrew Young, 44, USA ambassador to the UNO went to London from New York for talks with the British Minister on Rhodesia on independence crisis. President Jimmy Carter had made it clear that white government which seized power 11 years ago from Britain would receive no USA backing to help stave off black majority rule. The USA initiated a policy of supporting the British over the Rhodesian problem.

23 February 1977, Smith announced his so called major reforms. He told parliament that white farmland, which comprised of more than one-third of the country would in future be opened to occupation and ownership by black, In urban areas, local authorities would advise on which former white districts would go multi-racial.

Industrial and commercial land in central business districts would be opened for ownership by all races. All hotels and bars would be opened to blacks. Race restrictions on private schools and hospitals would be removed, but ironically, state-owned institutions would continue to segregate. The package was part of Smith's attempt to reach internal settlement with those he described as ‘moderate' lack leaders inside Rhodesia.

Critics, however, were opposed to Smith reforms, saying that these reforms were bogus, conceded too little to nationalist demands and came too late in the day. Africa was not prepared to be taken up by Smith's talk of internal settlement and racial relaxation, because it was just a few weeks ago since Smith slammed the door to any serious negotiations when he refused to step down or make any significant concessions by clinging to ill-conceived package deal he got from Kissinger. Furthermore, the land reform that Smith was now imposing fell short of the demands of Africans, while the other reforms that he wanted to carry out with his land tenure amendments were all but a sham.

27 March 1977, Andrew Young, Cartels choice as USA ambassador to UNO, a former Georgia Congressman, a black and a close adviser to Carter during 1976 presidential election, came on African trip in a bid to find a settlement for Rhodesian problem.

16 May 1977, UNO organised a conference on Rhodesia and Namibia. The Maputo conference condemned the Rhodesian rebels, South Africa occupation of Namibia and the practice of apartheid within South Africa from which it spread out to Rhodesia and Namibia.