How did Zimbabwe achieve independence from white minority rule in 1980?

Zimbabwe achieved independence from white minority rule in 1980 following a protracted liberation struggle and a series of diplomatic negotiations. The white minority-led government had unilaterally declared independence from Britain in 1965, leading to years of conflict between the state and Black nationalist insurgent groups, primarily the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU).123

By the late 1970s, the Rhodesian government faced mounting international economic sanctions and military pressure. Although an "Internal Settlement" in 1978 attempted to establish a transition to majority rule, it failed to gain international recognition or end the war because it excluded the main nationalist leaders.143

A definitive resolution was reached through the Lancaster House Agreement, negotiated in London in late 1979. Under this agreement, the country temporarily reverted to British colonial administration, a ceasefire was implemented, and free elections were scheduled. In the February 1980 elections, ZANU-PF won a landslide victory, and Zimbabwe officially achieved internationally recognized independence on April 18, 1980, with Robert Mugabe as its first prime minister.124