▁began ▁a ▁length y ▁armed ▁campaign ▁against ▁Rh odes ia ' s ▁white ▁minor ity ▁government ▁in ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" B ush ▁War " ▁by ▁White ▁Rh odes ians ▁and ▁as ▁the ▁" Second ▁Ch im ur eng a " ▁( or ▁re bell ion ▁in ▁Sh ona ) ▁by ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁reb els . ▁The ▁N de be le , ▁back ed ▁by ▁Moscow , ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁separate ▁war ▁front ▁from ▁neighbour ing ▁Z amb ia . ▁ ▁The ▁Rh odes ian ▁government ▁agreed ▁to ▁a ▁ce ase fire ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁For ▁a ▁brief ▁period , ▁Rh odes ia ▁revert ed ▁to ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁British ▁col ony , ▁until ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁when ▁elections ▁were ▁held . ▁The ▁Z AN U ▁party , ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Sh ona ▁independence ▁leader ▁Robert ▁M ug abe , ▁defeated ▁the ▁popular ▁N de be le ▁candidate ▁Josh ua ▁N kom o , ▁solid ified ▁their ▁rule ▁over ▁independent ▁Z imb ab we . ▁Mat abe le land ▁and ▁M ash onal and ▁continued ▁as ▁provinces ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁nation . ▁ ▁Z imb ab we ▁ ▁Following ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁Z imb ab we ▁initially ▁made ▁significant ▁economic ▁and ▁social ▁progress , ▁but ▁t ensions ▁between ▁the ▁Sh ona ▁and ▁the ▁N de be le ▁began ▁to ▁surface . ▁The ▁government ▁respond ed ▁with ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁military ▁campaign s ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁North