Sixteen Anglicans in Zimbabwe's Diocese of Harare have been illegally arrested and priests forcefully evicted from their homes in the latest wave of intimidation by President Robert Mugabe's police force and those associated with ex-communicated Bishop Nolbert Kunonga.

"I am really concerned about this. We shall be running around to try and bail the whole group out today, if the police will listen," said Harare Bishop Chad Gandiya in a June 2 email message to church partners.

Mr Kunonga, an avid Mugabe supporter who was officially excommunicated by the Church of the Province of Central Africa in May 2008, still claims ownership of Zimbabwe's Anglican churches despite court rulings ordering his faction to share the buildings with Gandiya and the country's loyal Anglicans.

He is backing the ongoing intimidation and persecution of Anglicans in Zimbabwe who oppose his and Mugabe's leadership.

Two priests and a deacon are among those who've been targeted since May 29, said Bishop Gandiya, who is calling for ongoing prayers for the diocese. In each case, the police have sided with Mr Kunonga's faction, despite there being "no eviction orders as is required by the laws of the land," said Bishop Gandiya.

When one Anglican priest "pushed Kunonga's priest out of [his] house ... the police came and instead of arresting the intruder they arrested our priest and charged him with assault," said Bishop Gandiya. "He spent the night in cells and we had to bail him out."

In the latest incident on June 1, members of the Anglican Church managed to apprehend one of the men attempting to break into the Rev. Julius Zimbudzana's house and escort him to the police station where he was arrested.

But later, riot police arrived at Mr Zimbudzana's rectory and "rounded everyone [up] and took them to Highlands police station were they are detained," said Bishop Gandiya, adding that he is still attempting to confirm all the names of the 16 who've been arrested.

Bishop Gandiya also said that Mr Zimbudzana had tried to provide a report to the police station concerning the May 29 eviction of the deacon but that the police "refused to open a docket which in turn means the incident never happened."

Janette O'Neill, chief executive of the U.K.-based USPG mission agency, said in a press release: "We are deeply concerned at the increased level of threat and harassment being leveled at faithful members and clergy of the Anglican Church – especially by the forces of the state that should be there to protect and serve the people.

"We will support Bishop Chad through prayer, advocacy and practical means as he upholds both human rights and the legal right of the Anglican to minister to its communities. He is their champion and cannot submit to these threats and actions resulting from the illegitimate claims of Mr. Kunonga."

Gandiya was the Africa regional desk officer for USPG when he was elected to lead the Harare diocese May 2, 2009.

A recent New York Times article noted that Zimbabwe Anglican leaders "who have refused to submit to Mr Kunonga's authority say they have been subjected to death threats, spied on by state agents and blocked from worshipping in their churches or burying the dead in Anglican cemeteries."

According to the article, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams wrote to Mugabe this year, "beseeching him to stop the continuing bullying, harassment and persecution" of Anglicans in Zimbabwe -- but received no reply, the archbishop's press secretary said.

-- Matthew Davies is an editor/writer of Episcopal News Service.